The secretariat from the International Treaty organized the first Technical Workshop to strengthen the capacity of the National Programs on Plant Genetic Resources in Latin America (CAP-FITOGEN), which took place in Bogota, Colombia, from 19 to 22 March 2013.

This first Workshop contributed to improve skills and capacity of the technical staff in the area of conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The workshop promoted the use and adoption of several data management tools adapted to the needs of the national programs of this region. Additionally, the workshop gathered information on needs to further develop new tools within the framework of the Global Information System on Plant Genetic Resources referred to in the Article 17 of the International Treaty.