Text: Governments Meet to Discuss Biosafety Protocol

Representatives from 177 countries will meet December 11-15 in Montpellier, France, to discuss the operational procedures of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a groundbreaking agreement adopted earlier this year to establish a system of international trade in genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

According to a press release issued December 5 by the United Nations Environment Program, key issues to be discussed at the meeting include a review of international rules and standards pertaining to the handling, packaging and identification of GMOs, and facilitating decision-making by parties that may wish to import GMOs.

With the debate over genetically-modified foods continuing to make headlines around the world, "the sooner governments make the protocol operational, the sooner we can assure the public that human health and the natural environment are being fully protected," said UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer.

GMOs refer to plants, animals or microbes whose genetic material has been modified by modern biotechnology, such as recombinant DNA technology.

Following is the text of the UNEP press release:

U.N. ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

Press Release

Biosafety Meeting to Help Governments Reduce GMO Risks

Montpellier, France, 5 December 2000 -- With the debate over genetically-modified foods continuing to make headlines around the world, officials from the 177 member governments of the Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting in Montpellier from 11 to 15 December to discuss practical steps for minimizing some of the potential risks of biotechnology.

"The world's governments adopted the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety earlier this year to establish a fair and transparent system for international trade in genetically modified organisms (GMOs)," said Executive Director Klaus Toepfer of the United Nations Environment Program, which administers the Secretariat of the 1992 Biodiversity Convention under which the protocol was negotiated.

"Many of the disagreements about living modified organisms that are being aired today are addressed in this groundbreaking agreement. The sooner governments make the protocol operational, the sooner we can assure the public that human health and the natural environment are being fully protected," he said.

Adopted in January 2000, the Biosafety Protocol aims to ensure the safe transfer, handling and use of genetically (or living) modified organisms that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health.

In Montpellier, the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety will seek progress on crafting the procedures and practical details that are required to make the protocol effective.

Key issues include a system for information sharing, including the Biosafety Clearing House; a review of international rules and standards pertaining to the handling, transport, packaging and identification of GMOs; options for establishing a compliance regime; and facilitating decision-making by parties that may wish to import GMOs.

Establishing a framework for capacity building to help developing countries participate fully in the protocol is also essential. An example of how this could be done is a $39 million project funded by the Global Environment Facility that UNEP will implement over the next three-and-a-half years. This project will help 100 countries prepare their National Biosafety Frameworks and will facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices amongst developing countries and countries with economies in transition, including through a series of global and regional workshops.

Under the protocol governments will decide whether or not to accept imports of genetically modified organisms on the basis of risk assessments. These assessments are to be undertaken in a scientific manner according to recognized risk assessment techniques. However, because the protocol is based on the precautionary approach, importers can decide not to accept GMO imports if there is a lack of scientific certainty due to insufficient relevant scientific information and knowledge on whether or not the organism poses a risk to the environment or human health.

"When the biosafety regime was first adopted it was widely applauded by governments -- both those that are keen to export genetically-modified foods and those that have expressed reservations about biotechnology -- as a fair and balanced compromise solution," said Harndallah Zedan, executive secretary of the Montreal-based Convention.

"While the debate over all aspects of biotechnology will clearly continue for many years, the best way forward is to recognize this hard-fought agreement as a practical starting point," he said.

The protocol was adopted by 150 governments and has thus far been signed by 77 governments plus the European Community. It will remain open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York until 4 June 2001. After 50 governments have ratified the protocol it will enter into force and become legally binding (two countries, Bulgaria and Trinidad and Tobago, have already ratified). If governments move quickly, this could happen as early as 2002.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.
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