Svalbard Global Seed Vault will receive its first major seed deposit since the completion of a 20 million Euro technical upgrade of the facility by the Norwegian Government. The event, will also be attended by members of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocacy Group, appointed by the UN Secretary-General. It will be cochaired by Norway's Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, and President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The Seed Vault’s International Advisory Panel (IAP) will also convene on this occasion, holding its biannual meeting and inspection of the Seed Vault. The IAP consists of representatives of genebanks, plant breeders, international organizations and other Seed Vault stakeholders. Their mission is to give advice on its operation and management, provide transparency and serve as a direct channel for the depositors on issues related to the Seed Vault’s ongoing management and operations.
The depositors and other dignitaries who are part of the Seed Vault’s activities will gather in Svalbard for a Seed Summit conference on 25 February. The conference will focus on how the seeds deposited in the Seed Vault are safeguarded, and how those seeds may contribute to adapting our food systems to the effects of climate change, and to ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition – as set out in SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
