English   French Spanish   Archives HTM PDF TXT HTM PDF TXT HTM PDF TXT Curtain Raiser  Mon 13 Tue 14 Wed 15 Thu 16 Fri 17 & Summary Daily web coverage: Curtain Raiser - 13 March - 14 March 15 March - 16 March - 17 March Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety 13-17 March 2006| Curitiba, Brazil Highlights for Wednesday, 15 March 2006

Delegates to the third meeting of the parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP-3) met on Wednesday in the morning in Working Group I (WG-I) and during the day in Working Group II (WG-II). A contact group on budget met throughout the day and a contact group on detailed requirements for documentation and identification of living modified organisms for food, feed or processing (Article 18.2(a)) met in the afternoon and evening. Working Group I (WG-I) considered draft decisions on: subsidiary bodies; scientific and technical issues; handling, transport, packaging and identification (HTPI); biosafety clearing house (BCH); and risk assessment and risk management. Working Group II (WG-II) considered draft decisions on assessment and review of implementation, compliance, financial mechanism, capacity building, roster of experts, monitoring and reporting.

Above photo: Delegates from Africa discussing text on Compliance. 

WORKING GROUP I
SUBSIDIARY BODIES:
ZAMBIA favored establishing a scientific subsidiary body, while most delegates cautioned against this, and recommended deferring deliberations on the issue. Above photo: Mwananyanda Mbikusita Lewanika (Zambia)		MEXICO noted the possibility for support by the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice. Above photo: Marco Antonio Meraz (Mexico) reading the ENB.		INDIA favored creating ad hoc technical expert groups (AHTEGs). Above photo: Manoransan Hota (India)

OTHER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ISSUES:

CANADA , called for clarifying the Protocol's provisions relating specifically to the transit of LMOs.

Above photo L-R: Stephen Yarrow and Barry Stemshorn (Canada)

PARAGUAY and BRAZIL stressed the need for a clear definition of transit under the Protocol.

Above photo: Maria Cristina Torres (Paraguay)

ARGENTINA said transit should not trigger additional documentation requirements for the transit State.

Above photo: Alejandra Sarquis (Argentina)

RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT:

COLOMBIA suggested recalling that Article 26 (Socioeconomic considerations) plays a role in decision making. Above photo: Eugenia Méndez (Colombia)		SOUTH AFRICA said that additional guidance may be needed on long-term monitoring of LMOs. Above photo: Alf Wills (South Africa)		Above photo L-R: The WG-I dais with Worku Damena (CBD), WG-I Chair Birthe Ivars, Kirsty Galloway (CBD) and Ryan Hill (CBD).

WORKING GROUP II

ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW:

Chair Rey Santos introduced a draft decision on Assessment and Review. Most parties supported the proposal. Above photo L-R: Chair Rey Santos confers with Erie Tamale and Yibin Xiang (CBD)		JAPAN said the process should be as simple as possible at this stage, and the EU proposed also consulting other stakeholders, including the private sector. Above photo: Kazuo Watanabe (Japan)		The EU said the process for evaluation should be simple, but its extent should be comprehensive. Above photo: Thomas Loidl (Austria on behalf of the EU)

COMPLIANCE:

CANADA noted that rules on conflicts of interest should prevent members from voting in matters concerning their own country.

Above photo: Anne Daniel (Canada)

BRAZIL highlighted that the compliance mechanism should be facilitative and cooperative.

Above photo: Hadil da Rocha Vianna (Brazil)

CHINA proposed differentiated consequences for non-compliance, noting that in developing countries non-compliance may result from the lack of capacity.

Above photo: Xue Dayuan (China)

FINANCIAL MECHANISM:

KIRIBATI, supported DOMINICA's view that the GEF’s new Resource Allocation Framework (RAF) had several negative implications for small island developing states (SIDS) and requested the inclusion of SIDS and countries with economies in transition in the draft. Above photo: Tererei Abete-Reema (Kiribati)		EL SALVADOR requested ensuring continuity of GEF projects on national biosafety frameworks that are already in progress. Above photo: Jorge Ernesto Quezada Diaz (El Salvador)		SOUTH AFRICA expressed concerns that country allocations may be too small for adequate implementation of biosafety frameworks.  Above photo L-R: Sem Taukondjo Shikongo (Namibia), Alf Wills (South Africa) and Elmo Thomas (Namibia)

CONTACT GROUP ON ARTICLE 18.2 (A)

Delegates resumed work on the basis of the Brazilian proposal.  Above photos L-R: Contact group chairs François Pythoud (Switzerland) and Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado  (Brazil); packed contact group session; the contact group dais with Worku Damena (CBD), Ryan Hill (CBD) and Chairs Pythoud and Machado.

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Related Links CBD Secretariat COP8 / MOP3 CBD Secretariat website COP8 / MOP3 Brazilian Secretariat website Global Message of Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf on achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Web page COP/MOP3 Documents COP-8 Documents FAO CGRFA Website  UNIDO Biosafety Information Network Advisory Network (BINAS) Links to ENB/YMB coverage ENB coverage of COP/MOP2 ENB coverage of  Ad Hoc Working Group on Liability and Redress-2 under the Biosafety Protocol ENB coverage of COP-7 ENB coverage of ABS-4 ENB coverage of WG-4 on Article 8(j) and related provisions of the CBD ENB coverage of the Second Meeting of the CGRFA acting as the Interim Commitee for the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture IISD Linkages Biodiversity and Wildlife Recent Meetings

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