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Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety
30 May - 3 June 2005, Montreal,
Canada
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Summary report
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TEXT
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English
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Français
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Earth Negotiations Bulletin - ENB
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Click on the above days to view previous ENB Web coverage.
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Highlights for Friday, 3 June
2005
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Delegates to the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP-2) convened in
the morning in a session of Working Group I (WG-I) and made comments on
the conference room paper (CRP) on handling, transport, packaging and
identification. SWITZERLAND presented a non-paper containing new
proposals on LMO-FFPs, including a reference deciding to
further consider the issue at COP/MOP-3. Delegates asked for time asked for time to consider the Swiss proposal, and consult their
positions. On Friday afternoon, COP/MOP-2 President Sothinathan Sinna
Goundar, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of
Malaysia, convened the closing plenary session.
Above photo: African delegates in consultation during a break in WG-I
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WORKING
GROUP I
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Above photos: Participants from various NGOs
expressed deep concern about Brazil and New Zealand positions in the
COP/MOP-2 negotiations.
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WG-I Chair Birthe Ivars (Norway) opened the meeting and called
for comments on the conference room paper (CRP) on handling,
transport, packaging and identification.
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Contact group Co-Chair Nematollah Khansari (Iran) reported on
the contact group work. He said that delegates worked until 3:00 a.m.
to remove brackets without success.
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NEW ZEALAND opposed language noting that
thresholds for the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of
LMOs may be adopted on a national basis, and proposed a new preambular
paragraph to note that the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence
of living modified organisms (LMOs) does not trigger documentation and
identification requirements under Article 18.2(a) (documentation for
LMOs for food, feed or processing (LMO-FFPs)). IRAN, ZAMBIA and
CAMEROON opposed the proposal by New Zealand.
Above
photo: Jane Coombs (New Zealand)
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BRAZIL proposed to bracket agreed text on the possibility to use a
stand-alone document. He also proposed new text according to which: in
cases where the shipment is known to intentionally contain LMO-FFPs,
and it is not a commodity, clearly states that the shipment contains
LMOs; and clearly states, when the shipment contains a mixture of
LMO-FFPs or a mixture of LMO-FFPs and known LMOs, that the shipment may
contain LMOs that are approved in the State of origin.
Above photo: Hadil Fontes Da Rocha Vianna (Brazil)
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The AFRICAN GROUP, INDIA, BRAZIL, NEW ZEALAND, asked for time to
consider the Swiss proposal, and consult their positions. Above
photo: Delegates from the Asia and the Pacific Group in consultation
to consider the Swiss proposal.
Above photo: Delegates from the Asia and the Pacific Group in
consultation to consider the Swiss proposal.
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SWITZERLAND presented a non-paper containing a new proposal on
documentation of LMO-FFPs, including a reference deciding to further
consider the issue at COP/MOP-3. He stressed that the text is based
on the previous CRP, but contains language form the Protocol and
Decision BS-I/6 on key points, and includes a carefully balanced
account of proposals brought forward during contact group
negotiations. He urged Parties to adopt the paper as a package
without amendments.
Above
photo: François Pythoud (Switzerland)
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On Friday
afternoon, COP/MOP-2 President Sothinathan Sinna Goundar, Deputy
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, convened the
closing plenary session. Bureau member Ronald Devlin (Ireland)
presented the report on credentials, noting that 38 delegations whose
credentials were not in order have signed a declaration to submit their
credentials within 30 days.
Above photos L-R: COP/MOP-2 President Sothinathan Sinna Goundar; COP/MOP-2
closing dais with Charles Gbedemah (UNEP), CBD Executive
Secretary Hamdallah Zedan, COP/MOP-2 President Sothinathan Sinna Goundar
and Cyrie Sendashonga (CBD)
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Under other matters, Ethiopia drew attention
to a meeting held with the Canadian delegation and officials
responsible for visa matters, who promised that delays and denials of
visas for delegates will not be repeated, and suggested the issue be
closed for the moment.
On the date and venue of COP/MOP-3, the Secretariat said it will take
place in March 2006, in Curitiba, Brazil. Brazil invited all
participants to attend CBD COP-8 and COP/MOP-3 in Curitiba, the
“ecological capital of Brazil.” Above photo (right): Bernardo
Velloso (Brazil)
Rapporteur Sem Shikongo (Namibia) (above left) presented the
report of the meeting (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/L.1), which was adopted
without amendment.
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Tewolde Egzhiaber (Ethiopia)(right), on behalf of the African
Group, Yvo de Boer (the Netherlands) (left), on behalf of the
EU and Bulgaria, India, on behalf of the Asia and Pacific Group, and
Norway expressed distress because of the failure to reach agreement
on documentation for LMO-FFPs. The African Group urged developing
country delegates to build national legislation to address genetic
pollution, noting the majority of developed countries protect
themselves through national legislation. Syria expressed optimism,
and Kenya hope, to reach a solution at COP/MOP-3. The EU stressed the
meeting failed to meet a commitment made during the Protocol adoption
and also regretted bracketed language regarding the voting rule under
the Compliance Committee rules of procedure. The Asia and Pacific
Group highlighted the burden placed on the Compliance Committee which
will have to decide each time whether to meet in open or closed
sessions. The EU and the Asia and Pacific Group also underlined
positive developments regarding public awareness, capacity building,
and risk assessment and management. The DPR Korea expressed
appreciation to GEF for sustainable financial support.
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IDEC Brazil, on behalf of NGOs and civil society organizations,
stressed the Brazilian delegation does not represent the real
interests of the Brazilian people and underlined that the UNEP
representative delivered a pro-industry statement. She recalled that
the Protocol seeks to ensure biosafety, not promote trade.
Above photo: Marijane Lisboa (IDEC)
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Friends of the Earth International expressed disappointment because
of the fact that two countries blocked decision making on
documentation for LMO-FFPs, and stressed the Brazilian and New
Zealand delegations lacked biosafety expertise and arguments to back
their position, and served the interests of non-Parties and the
biotech industry. He expressed hope that countries establish national
and regional biosafety frameworks.
Above photo: Juan Lopez Villar ( Friends of the Earth
International)
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COP/MOP-2
President Goundar (right) highlighted progress but noted that
important business is left unfinished. Executive Secretary Zedan (left)
expressed appreciation to countries contributing for the participation
of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, and
stressed that the lack of consensus on documentation for LMO-FFPs
should not overshadow positive achievements.
COP/MOP-2 President Goundar introduced a draft decision on
documentation requirements for LMO-FFPs submitted by WG-I Chair Birthe
Ivars (Norway) for adoption by the plenary. BRAZIL and NEW ZEALAND
formally objected the adoption of the draft decision. COP/MOP-2 adopted
the report of the meeting, including a reference reflecting that no
decision on documentation requirements for LMO-FFPs was adopted due to
lack of consensus.
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Above photo: COP/MOP-2 President Goundar gaveled the
meeting to a close at 6:20 pm.
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ENB
SNAPSHOTS:
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Above
photos: NGOs in protest.
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This service was prepared in
cooperation with the CBD Secretariat
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