7 March 2011: The Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety opened for signature at UN Headquarters, New York.

During a special signing ceremony, Hidenori Murakami, for the Japanese COP-MOP Presidency, commended the work of the Liability and Redress Working Group Co-Chairs during the Supplementary Protocol’s negotiation and thanked all parties for their commitment to biodiversity conservation. CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed Djoghlaf lauded the Supplementary Protocol as an important step towards the implementation of Principle 13 of the Rio Declaration on liability and compensation for environmental damage. Colombia, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden then signed the Supplementary Protocol.

At the subsequent press conference, Murakami emphasized the Supplementary Protocol’s importance as a basis for developing regulation for the use of new applications of biotechnology. Jimena Nieto (Colombia), Co-Chair of the Liability and Redress Working Group, said the adoption of two environmental treaties on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Nagoya – the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing – is a sign of renewed commitment to international environmental cooperation. Co-Chair René Lefeber (the Netherlands) said the Supplementary Protocol is a unique contribution to Principle 13 implementation since it offers the first internationally agreed definition of environmental damage, and requires governments to intervene before such damage occurs, rather than relying on compensation of victims only. Both Co-Chairs expressed confidence that the Supplementary Protocol will enter into force quickly. [CBD Press Release] [IISD RS Sources]