In 1983, FAQ and UNEP created an Expert Panel of 36eminent scientists to advise on Animal Genetic Resources Conservation and Manage- ment. The first meeting was held in Rome in October 1983, at which work in progress was evaluated, and recommendations made for the next few years. The meeting addressed 4 topics: i) Conservation by management; ii) Animal genetic resources data banks; iii) Training methods in animal genetic resources; and iv) Cryogenic storage of germplasm and genetic engineering. The Proceedings of the meeting, with the full texts of the working papers presented and subsequently amended by the authors, are now published in two parts. This is Part 1 and contains the papers presented in the first three topic areas. Part 2 contains the papers in the section on Cryogenic storage of germplasm and genetic engineering.