Members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group have held the fifth meeting of the high-level policy dialogue to address implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and examine biotechnology policy development, implementation and communication.

The meeting took place from 26-27 February 2006, in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Prior to the event, a private sector meeting was held, on 25 February, to provide an opportunity for APEC officials to learn about developments in agricultural biotechnology.
With regards to the Biosafety Protocol, the high-level policy dialogue was widely viewed as a final opportunity for APEC members to address the issues before the third meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, to be held from 13-17 March 2006, in Curitiba, Brazil. Participants continued the discussion, initiated at the fourth meeting, on the benefits of intra-governmental coordination and the examination of costs/benefits and trade implications of the Protocol’s implementation.
Link to further information
APEC news release, 25 February 2006