United Nations Earth Summit+5 - Support to the Preparation of International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and Related Capacity Building Requirements

EARTH SUMMIT+5
Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise
the Implementation of Agenda 21
New York, 23-27 June 1997
PROGRAMME FACT SHEETS

Support to the Preparation of International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and Related Capacity Building Requirements.

Responsible Organization(s) United Nations Environment Programme
Nairobi, Kenya

Description The programme is designed to promote safety in biotechnology, and to follow-up on some of the actions called for in Chapter 16 of Agenda 21 and to support the work undertaken by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on development of a modified organisms resulting from biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. UNEP in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and relevant UN entities including UNIDO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, DPCSD as well as representatives from the biotechnology industry, hosted seven regional and sub-regional consultations and an apex Global consultation of government-designated experts to consider draft International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and related capacity building requirements, compiled on the basis of common elements and principles derived from existing instruments and guidelines. Government-designated experts from a total of 75 countries participated in the regional and sub-regional consultations.

Issues addressed The programme is to promote a comprehensive approach that will safeguard biological diversity against possible adverse impacts from living modified organisms (LMOs)/organisms with novel traits (ONTs) resultant from biotechnology, by promoting environmentally sound biotechnologies and sustainable use of genetic resources in all types of ecosystems.

Objectives The overall objective is to enhance and ensure safe and judicious application of biotechnology, with a view to maximizing its potential benefits while avoiding to the maximum extent possible, adverse effect on human health and the environment.
More specific objectives are:

To facilitate regional and international cooperation necessary to address biosafety issues beyond national borders such as transboundary movements of living modified organisms and to facilitate progress of the work initiated by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on the need for and modalities of a biosafety protocol within the context of the Convention.
To help harmonize national biosafety instruments and facilitate the implementation of any future international agreements on biosafety.
To strengthen developing countries' capacities to introduce and implement national mechanisms for safety in biotechnology and to help to build technology assessment capacity at national and regional levels for the management of environmentally sound biotechnology, including environmental impact and risk assessment, with due regard to appropriate safeguards on the transfer of technology.
To create, among the public and key decisions makers, greater awareness of the potential and relative benefits and risks of the environmentally sound application of biotechnology.
To initiate long-term technological partnerships between holders of environmentally sound biotechnologies and potential user as well as to contribute to the strengthening of international information networks which link relevant national, sub-regional and other international systems.

Results achieved The objectives have been fully achieved through the adoption of Decision 1 and 2 by the Cairo Global Consultation of Government-Designated Experts to Review International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology. Decision 1 adopts the final text of the United Nations Environment Programme International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and requests the Executive Director of UNEP to make these Guidelines widely available at the earliest opportunity to Governments and all interested parties and institutions including intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the private sector and to draw them to the attention of relevant intergovernmental, private-sector and other organizations. Decision 2 on Capacity building Requirements for Safety in Biotechnology requests the Executive Director of UNEP in collaboration with CBD and UNIDO/UNEP/WHO/FAO Working Group on Biosafety, and other relevant organizations to prepare an appropriate capacity-building framework on biosafety for the implementation of the guidelines, taking into consideration the views expressed at the Global Consultation, and to summit a project proposal for support of such a programme to GEF. At the International Workshop, representative from developing and developed countries as well as countries with economies-in-transition indicated that significant progress was being made towards implementation of the UNEP Guidelines through biosafety activities already undertaken, underway or planned, despite their countries being at different stages in the development of biosafety oversight mechanism. For example, many countries had already established/designated national focal points/institutional mechanisms for biosafety.
An International Register on Biosafety has been established that will facilitate specific information exchange and supply between national focal points as well as general information on aspects of the Guidelines directly or through linkages with existing databases such as the BINAS and Biotract.

Lessons learned Implementing of the two decisions adopted by the Global Consultation and the recommendations of the International Workshop encompass activities which likewise call even closer and more concerted international efforts and co-operation to obtain a high degree of achievement at national and regional level. The proposed activities (in the decisions and recommendations) through follow-up actions and programmes should aim to build upon planned or existing activities to accelerate the environmentally sound application of biotechnology, especially in developing countries.
In this regard, cooperative arrangements with UNIDO, ICGEB, BINAS, FAO, UNESCO, IRRO, MIRCEN and the UNIDO/UNEP/WHO/FAO Working Group on Biosafety, among others, will be maintained and strengthened in support of the programme.

Financing Environment Fund of UNEP, U.K. and the Netherlands.

Contact Hamdallah Zedan
Chief, Biodiversity Unit
United Nations Environment Programme
P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 623258/59
Fax: (254-2) 623926
E-mail:hamdallah.zedan@unep.no

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Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Comments and suggestions: esa@un.org
Last updated 1 November 1997

	Support to the Preparation of International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and Related Capacity Building Requirements.
	Responsible Organization(s)	United Nations Environment Programme Nairobi, Kenya
	Description	The programme is designed to promote safety in biotechnology, and to follow-up on some of the actions called for in Chapter 16 of Agenda 21 and to support the work undertaken by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on development of a modified organisms resulting from biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. UNEP in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and relevant UN entities including UNIDO, FAO, UNESCO, WHO, DPCSD as well as representatives from the biotechnology industry, hosted seven regional and sub-regional consultations and an apex Global consultation of government-designated experts to consider draft International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and related capacity building requirements, compiled on the basis of common elements and principles derived from existing instruments and guidelines. Government-designated experts from a total of 75 countries participated in the regional and sub-regional consultations.
	Issues addressed	The programme is to promote a comprehensive approach that will safeguard biological diversity against possible adverse impacts from living modified organisms (LMOs)/organisms with novel traits (ONTs) resultant from biotechnology, by promoting environmentally sound biotechnologies and sustainable use of genetic resources in all types of ecosystems.
	Objectives	The overall objective is to enhance and ensure safe and judicious application of biotechnology, with a view to maximizing its potential benefits while avoiding to the maximum extent possible, adverse effect on human health and the environment. More specific objectives are: To facilitate regional and international cooperation necessary to address biosafety issues beyond national borders such as transboundary movements of living modified organisms and to facilitate progress of the work initiated by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on the need for and modalities of a biosafety protocol within the context of the Convention. To help harmonize national biosafety instruments and facilitate the implementation of any future international agreements on biosafety. To strengthen developing countries' capacities to introduce and implement national mechanisms for safety in biotechnology and to help to build technology assessment capacity at national and regional levels for the management of environmentally sound biotechnology, including environmental impact and risk assessment, with due regard to appropriate safeguards on the transfer of technology. To create, among the public and key decisions makers, greater awareness of the potential and relative benefits and risks of the environmentally sound application of biotechnology. To initiate long-term technological partnerships between holders of environmentally sound biotechnologies and potential user as well as to contribute to the strengthening of international information networks which link relevant national, sub-regional and other international systems.
	Results achieved	The objectives have been fully achieved through the adoption of Decision 1 and 2 by the Cairo Global Consultation of Government-Designated Experts to Review International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology. Decision 1 adopts the final text of the United Nations Environment Programme International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology and requests the Executive Director of UNEP to make these Guidelines widely available at the earliest opportunity to Governments and all interested parties and institutions including intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the private sector and to draw them to the attention of relevant intergovernmental, private-sector and other organizations. Decision 2 on Capacity building Requirements for Safety in Biotechnology requests the Executive Director of UNEP in collaboration with CBD and UNIDO/UNEP/WHO/FAO Working Group on Biosafety, and other relevant organizations to prepare an appropriate capacity-building framework on biosafety for the implementation of the guidelines, taking into consideration the views expressed at the Global Consultation, and to summit a project proposal for support of such a programme to GEF. At the International Workshop, representative from developing and developed countries as well as countries with economies-in-transition indicated that significant progress was being made towards implementation of the UNEP Guidelines through biosafety activities already undertaken, underway or planned, despite their countries being at different stages in the development of biosafety oversight mechanism. For example, many countries had already established/designated national focal points/institutional mechanisms for biosafety. An International Register on Biosafety has been established that will facilitate specific information exchange and supply between national focal points as well as general information on aspects of the Guidelines directly or through linkages with existing databases such as the BINAS and Biotract.
	Lessons learned	Implementing of the two decisions adopted by the Global Consultation and the recommendations of the International Workshop encompass activities which likewise call even closer and more concerted international efforts and co-operation to obtain a high degree of achievement at national and regional level. The proposed activities (in the decisions and recommendations) through follow-up actions and programmes should aim to build upon planned or existing activities to accelerate the environmentally sound application of biotechnology, especially in developing countries. In this regard, cooperative arrangements with UNIDO, ICGEB, BINAS, FAO, UNESCO, IRRO, MIRCEN and the UNIDO/UNEP/WHO/FAO Working Group on Biosafety, among others, will be maintained and strengthened in support of the programme.
	Financing	Environment Fund of UNEP, U.K. and the Netherlands.
	Contact	Hamdallah Zedan Chief, Biodiversity Unit United Nations Environment Programme P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: (254-2) 623258/59 Fax: (254-2) 623926 E-mail:hamdallah.zedan@unep.no