Fifteen countries and the European Union signed the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety during a signing ceremony in New York, bringing the total number of signatures to 22.
11 May 2011: Fifteen countries and the European Union (EU) signed the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at a signing ceremony held during the High-level Segment of the nineteenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 19) at UN Headquarters, New York, US.
The total number of signatures received to date is now 22. The countries that signed during the ceremony are: Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tunisia and the EU.
The Supplementary Protocol addresses liability and redress for damage to the environment from living modified organisms (LMOs) arising in the context of transboundary movements of LMOs. It responds to Principle 13 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which called on States to develop national laws regarding liability and compensation and also to cooperate in developing further international law regarding liability and compensation for adverse effects of environmental damage.
The Supplementary Protocol will remain open for signature at UN Headquarters until 6 March 2012. During this time, States can sign the Supplementary Protocol on any day. Another special signing event will be organized on 20 September 2011, in New York, in conjunction with the High Level Event on Desertification of the 66th session of UN General Assembly. [CBD Press Release]