Seminar on the Nature of and Rationale for the Protection of Plant Varieties under the UPOV Convention / organized by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, in cooperation with the State Science and Technology Commission of China (SSTCC), and with the assistance of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).

Opening address by Dr. Arpad Bogsch, Secretary-General of UPOV, Geneva, Switzerland; Welcome Address by Mr. Hui Yongzheng, Vice-President of the State Science and Technology Commission of China, Beijing, China; 1. General information on the UPOV system of plant variety protection : GREENGRASS, Barry. What is plant variety protection? TABATA, Makoto. An overview of plant variety protection in the world (the development of UPOV; the form of protection; implementation at the national level); 2. General information on the UPOV system of plant variety protection : TABATA, Makoto. The technical criteria for protection; GREENGRASS, Barry. The 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention; 3. Selected topics on plant variety protection : KIEWIET, Bart P. Plant variety protection in the Netherlands : the European approach to plant variety protection; WATSON, Grant. Plant variety protection in Canada : the experience of a new member state of UPOV; KANAZAWA, Ko?ji. The testing of flower varieties in Japan; IWASA, Yoshito. Plant variety protection in the flower business; 4. Plant variety protection in the Asian and Pacific region : QIAOSHENG, Zhuang. The achievements of and prospects for plant breeding in China; WANG, Keping. Regulations on seed management and the current situation of the protection of new plant varieties in China; The current situation of the plant breeding and seed industries in the Asian and Pacific Region; the policy on the protection of new varieties : Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand; Closing address by Mr. Barry Greengrass; Closing address by Mr. Song Zehou;.