The Global Biotechnology Forum was convened from 2-5 March 2004, in Concepción, Chile, under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Government of Chile, with assistance from the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB).

The conference was attended by some 1500 participants from governments, intergovernmental organizations, scientific institutions, industry and the media. The Forum’s objective was to examine the potential offered by biotechnology for the creation of wealth and the improvement of quality of life of people in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
Building on work that had previously taken place in regional consultative meetings, participants examined issues related to: biotechnology meeting the needs of the poor; biotechnology, biodiversity, energy and the environment; trade, regulation, biosafety and social acceptance of biotechnology; biotechnology and bio-industry; and biotechnology and the developing world.
Emphasizing the importance of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the need for additional financial and technical resources to developing countries, participants particularly noted UN General Assembly resolution 58/200 of 23 December 2003, which reaffirmed the vital role of new technologies in raising the productivity and competitiveness of nations and the need for capacity-building measures promoting the transfer and diffusion of technologies to developing countries. Participants suggested that the following initiatives and proposals could be further considered by UN organizations, other international development partners, the scientific community and the private sector:
– Formation of a multistakeholder forum, involving UN specialised agencies and other international bodies together with representatives of government, industry and the scientific community to serve as an ongoing platform for informed dialogue on biotechnology;
– Creation of an information network and database on biotechnology activities currently in progress in developing countries;
– Enhancement of efforts for the mobilization of resources for capacity building; and
– Examination of the impact of and ways to facilitate access to intellectual property to promote the exploitation and dissemination of biotechnology in developing countries.
More information including the Forum’s final statement is available on the meeting website at: http://binas.unido.org/global_forum/