17 July 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has announced the re-opening of an online forum on strategic approaches to capacity-building for biosafety and on the comprehensive review of the Capacity-building Action Plan under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

The forum aims to improve the planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring of biosafety capacity-building initiatives. It will provide input to the sixth Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol (MOP 6) with regard to strategic approaches for capacity-building and frameworks for capacity assessment and monitoring and evaluation. It will also contribute to the review of the Capacity-building Action Plan.

The forum was originally open from February until May 2012, but participation was low. It will be re-opened from 17-31 July 2012, to allow Parties, other governments and relevant organizations to express their views and suggestions on strategic approaches to improving the design, delivery, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of biosafety capacity-building initiatives. [CBD Notification] [Forum Website]