A2K

access to knowledge

AATF

African Agricultural Technologies Foundation

ABIA

American Bioindustry Alliance

ABS

access and benefit sharing

ACP

African, Caribbean and Pacific

AIA

Advance Informed Agreement

AIPPI

Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Industrielle (International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property)

AnGR

Animal Genetic Resources

ASSINSEL

Association Internationale des Selectionneurs pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales (International Association of Plant Breeders)

ASTA

American Seed Trade Association

AU

African Union

BCH

Biosafety Clearing House

BiOS

Biological Open Source

BIRPI

Bureaux Internationaux Réunis de la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle (United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property)

BSE

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease)

CATIE

Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Centre)

CBD

Convention on Biological Diversity

CDP

Cooperation for Development Programme

CESCR

Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

CGIAR

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

CGRFA

Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

CHM

clearinghouse mechanism

CIAT

International Center for Tropical Agriculture

CIMMYT

International Wheat and Maize Research Institute

CIPIH

Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health

CIOPORA

International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora

COP

Conference of the Parties

CRC

Convention on the Rights of the Child

CSO

civil society organization

DFID

UK Department for International Development

DSM

dispute settlement mechanism

EARO

Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization

EC

European Community

ECOSOC

United Nations Economic and Social Council

EDV

essentially derived variety

EEC

European Economic Community

EFTA

European Free Trade Association

EoF

expressions of folklore

EPAs

economic partnership agreements

EPO

European Patent Office

EU

European Union

FAO

UN Food and Agriculture Organization

FiRST

Financial Resource Support for Teff

FIS

Fédération Internationale du Commerce des Semences (International Seed Trade Federation)

FTAs

free trade agreements

FTO

freedom to operate

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

GEF

Global Environment Facility

GMO

genetically modified organism

GFAR

Global Forum on Agricultural Research

GURTs

genetic use restriction technologies

HPFI

Health and Performance Food International

IBC

Institute of Biodiversity Conservation

IBPGR

International Board for Plant Genetic Resources

ICBGS

International Cooperative Biodiversity Group

ICC

International Chamber of Commerce

ICESCR

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

ICTSD

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development

IFPRI

International Food Policy Research Institute

IGCGRTKF or IGC

Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (more commonly IGC)

IIFB

International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity

IMP

intellectual monopoly privilege

INBio

National Biodiversity Institute, Costa Rica

INGER

International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice

IP

intellectual property

IPRs

intellectual property rights

ISF

International Seed Federation

ITPGRFA

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (also referred to as the Treaty)

IUPGRFA or IU

International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (also referred to as the Undertaking)

KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken

LDC

least developed country

LMMCs

Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries

LMOs

living modified organisms

LMOs-FFP

living modified organisms for food, feed and processing

MATs

mutually agreed terms

MDGs

Millennium Development Goals

MEA

multilateral environmental agreement

MFN

most favoured nation

MLS

multilateral system of access and benefit sharing

MOP

Meeting of the Parties

MSF

Médecins Sans Frontières

MTA

material transfer agreement

NGO

non-governmental organization

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

PBRs

plant breeders' rights

PCDA

Provisional Committee on Propsals related to a

WIPO

Development Agenda

PCT

Patent Cooperation Treaty

PGRFA

plant genetic resources for food and agriculture

PIC

prior informed consent

PIIPA

Public Interest Intellectual Property Advisors, Inc.

PIPRA

Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture

PVP

plant variety protection

QIAP

Quaker International Affairs Programme

QUNO

Quaker United Nations Office R&D research and development

RR

Roundup-Ready

SBSTTA

Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

SCP

Standing Committee on the Law of Patents

SMTA

Standard Material Transfer Agreement

SPLT

Substantive Patent Law Treaty

TCEs

Traditional cultural expressions

TK

traditional knowledge

TRIPS

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

UDHR

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UK

United Kingdom

UN

United Nations

UNCTAD

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNPFII

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples Issues

UPOV

International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants [Union Internationale pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétale]

US

United States of America

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

USPTO

United States Patents and Trademarks Office

WHO

World Health Organization

WIPO

World Intellectual Property Organization

WTO

World Trade Organization