SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL COUNCIL

The National Parliament (Milli Mejlis) of the Republic of Azerbaijan was adopted the Law of Azerbaijan Republic (№ 273-IVQ) on “Protection and Sustainable Utilization of Crop Genetic Resources” for providing legal regulation all issues related to protection and sustainable utilization of crops of Azerbaijan on December 13, 2011 and this law was approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic.

In 2012, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed 2 Decrees related to application of the law on “Protection and Sustainable Utilization of Crop Genetic Resources” (№ 576 dated February 7, 2012 and № 690 dated July 17, 2012).

In order to ensure the fulfillment of the decrees 2 orders and 2 decisions were adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers. In Decision № 259 dated 13 November, 2012 the Genetic Resources Institute was declared the National Coordinating Institute and its GeneBankdeclared the National GeneBank. The National GeneBank was given special protected area status.

In order to implement proper management of plant genetic resources in the country and to carry out the coordinating functions of the GRI, it was decided to establish the Scientific-Technical Committee (Steering Committee) on Crop Genetic Resources of Azerbaijan (STC).

According to the decision, the National Academy of Sciences, The Ministry of Agriculture, The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and The Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patents of Azerbaijan Republic should be represented in STC. By the decision, a numbers of regulation documents, as well as rules (Rule on Establishing and Registration of National Collections, Rule on Import and Export of PGR, Rule on Traditional Brand Plants, Rule on Genetically Modified Plants and etc.) and regulations (regulation of the National Gene Bank, regulation of the Scientific-Technical Council on Protection and Sustainable of Crop Genetic Resources, regulation of specialized expert councils, regulation of working groups on priority activities and etc.) were adopted.

As well as monitoring mechanism for the fulfillment of the Law was developed. In this process, the main executive functions will be carried out:on crops - by the Ministry of Agriculture, on wild diversity - the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan together with ANAS. GRI will also play a key role in these activities.

In order to provide the fulfillment of orders which adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic related to “Protection and Sustainable Utilization of Crop Genetic Resources” the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences held special discussions and issued appropriate order in 26.12. 2012.

In the first months of 2013, “The STC, which is the management system on protection and sustainable utilization of crop genetic resources, was formed and the first meeting was held on 22 February 2013. Specialized expert groups including in management system on protection and sustainable utilization of crop genetic resources and working groups on priority activities were established and approved. Structure of the Scientific-Technical Council, expert councils and working groups was formed of officials, scientists and specialists from various ministries and boards, as well as scientific-research institutions. At present, holding process of first meetings and working out available work and calendar plans of expert councils and working groups are being going. In these processes support of international networks, in particular experience of ECPGR are used.

In accordance with the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, new version of statute of the Institute was amended and the structure was changed. New Biotechnology department was established at the Institute and modern scientific equipments purchased and installed here.

According to the instruction of the President of the Republic, “development work of the State Program (National Program) on genetic resources of crops” is being continued. After concrete preparation of the Program it will be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.

The national network on PGR, National Information Exchange Mechanism and its database as well as Central Data Base on PGR plays an important role in the fulfillment of all these activities.

In preparation of the law, documents, executive mechanisms, in general new system the international conventions and agreements (CBD, GPA, IT, Cartahena protocol and etc.), international, normative and systematical documents, recommendations of FAO, BI, ECPGR, Trust-Fund, CIMMYT, ICARDA, VIR (Russia), USDA (USA), INRA (France), also national program documents of a numbers of countries (Turkey, Germany, Italy, France, USA, Czech Republic and etc.), CAC Regional Strategy, advices of well-known scientists were used.

Genetic Resources Institute thanks sincerely to each international, regional and national organizations and persons who supported and participated in all above-mentioned processes actively.