The eighth issue of the CBD's "Biosafety Protocol News" celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Cartagena Protocol's adoption featuring articles on regional cooperation and lessons learned in implementation.
28 March 2011: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has released the eighth issue of “Biosafety Protocol News.” Marking the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the issue highlights examples of cooperation among Parties and relevant organizations in the Protocol’s implementation.
In an introductory message, CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf notes that many of the Protocol’s provisions call for cooperation among Parties to facilitate effective implementation, and he stresses the need to strengthen international cooperation at all levels and to foster partnerships between various stakeholders in order to achieve the common goal of ensuring the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs).
The articles discuss experiences in implementation and lessons learned in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean Regions, as well as report on: mobilizing local biosafety expertise and resources through regional cooperation in the African Biosafety Expertise Network; regional cooperation on biosafety education and training in the Asian Biosafety Education Network; and regional cooperation in biosafety capacity-building by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA).
Other articles discuss: lessons learned in preventing illegal trade of environmentally-sensitive commodities in the context of the Green Customs Initiative; sharing scientific information about LMOs; and the development of a strategic approach to the further implementation of the Biosafety Protocol. [Publication: Biosafety Protocol News]