13 February, 2013: Lebanon will become the 165th member of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on 7 May 2013, 90 days after depositing its instrument of accession on 6 February.

The Biosafety Protocol addresses transboundary movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) with the aim of protecting biodiversity from potential adverse effects of LMOs released into the environment, taking also into account potential impacts on human health. As protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), it can be ratified by any CBD Party.

On related news, Ireland became the tenth state to ratify the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress on 22 January 2013. The Supplementary Protocol establishes rules and procedures on liability and redress with regard to damage arising from transboundary movements of LMOs under the scope of the Biosafety Protocol. It was adopted by the fifth meeting of CBD Conference of the Parties serving as meeting of the members of the Biosafety Protocol held in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The Supplementary Protocol can be ratified by Parties to the Biosafety Protocol. It will come into force 90 days after receiving its 40th ratification. [CBD Press release Lebanon][CBD Press release Ireland]