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Plenary resumed at 8.50 pm, with Chair Ivars announcing a package agreement. She said that, following Paraguay’s request, reference to “other measures” with regard to identity preservation systems and related documentation requirements has been deleted. Other amendments, as announced by Mexico, included: recalling Article 24 of the Protocol in the preamble; noting that, in accordance with the Protocol, transboundary movements of LMOs between parties and non-parties shall be consistent with the objective of the Protocol and that the specific documentation requirements set out in the decision do not apply to such movements; and retaining the provision on submission of information to the BCH. Plenary accepted the agreement as a package.
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Brazil said the Mexican amendments are accepted, although considered unnecessary. Malaysia, on behalf of Asia and the Pacific, Paraguay, Japan and China welcomed the agreement and expressed their appreciation to the Brazilian delegation for its efforts.
Regional groups thanked Brazil, the city of Curitiba, and Minister Marina da Silva for their hospitality and leadership in arriving at a positive outcome.
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Ahmed Djoghlaf presented flowers to Minister da Silva and COP-MOP President ; and thanked Syrie Sendashonga for her long-standing support to biosafety in the CBD Secretariat, wishing her well in her new endeavors.
The meeting was gaveled to a close at 9:45 pm. |
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Breaking
News at 8:30 p.m (Curitiba GMT-3)
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During the closing plenary, New Zealand expressed support for the decision submitted by WG-I Chair
Ivars, noting they wanted to ensure the highest possible environmental standards while avoiding documentation requirements that would affect non-LMO shipments. Mexico suggested a number of changes, including: urging, rather than requesting, parties to take measures on documentation; retaining the provision on submission of information to the BCH; acknowledging that the expression “may contain” does not require a listing of LMOs; and a preambular reference recalling Article 24 (Non-parties). Paraguay requested clarifying that “other measures” with regard to identity preservation refer to measures of the exporting country. Noting the time is not appropriate for a drafting exercise, the EC said the changes introduced by Mexico would result in lowering the standards established by Decision BS-I/6. Brazil also expressed procedural concerns. Plenary was suspended to allow for informal consultations, which were still ongoing at
9:00 p.m. |
Above photos L-R: Mexico in informal consultation with the EU; Antonio
de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil); Kenneth Smith Ramos
(Mexico) |
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WORKING GROUP I
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Breaking
News
at 1:30 p.m (Curitiba GMT-3)
At noon, Working Group I (WG-I) began deliberations on documentation requirements for living modified organisms for food, feed or for processing
(LMO-FFPs). On the basis of consultations, Chair
Ivars introduced a compromise proposal to: delete a paragraph inviting parties and other governments to make available to the Biosafety Clearing-House information on the transformation events and the geographical areas they are commercially produced for each planting cycle in the exporting country, and the common, scientific and commercial names of the LMOs in question; and review and assess experience gained with the implementation of measures ensuring that documentation for LMO-FFPs complies with the requirements of the country of import, with a view to considering a decision at COP/MOP-6 to ensure that documentation clearly states that the shipment “contains”
LMO-FFPs.
Above photo: WG-I Chair Ivars in consultation with Mexico; the
EU consulting with its member states. |
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MEXICO, supported by PARAGUAY, said it was not able to accept the proposal and requested bracketing provisions to include in documentation accompanying the shipment the common, scientific and commercial names, and the transformation event codes of the LMOs, preferring to retain the paragraph inviting parties and other governments to make available such information to the Biosafety Clearing-House.
Above photos L-R: The WG-I dais with Dan Ogolla (CBD),
WG-I Chair Ivars, Kirsty Galloway (CBD), Ryan
Hill (CBD) and Worku Damena (CBD); Marco Antonio
Meraz (Mexico); Crisanta Rodas Cardoso and Maria
Cristina Torres (Paraguay)
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BRAZIL, PERU, JAPAN, the EC and ETHIOPIA supported the consensus text presented by Chair
Ivars and urged for its adoption.
Above photos L-R: Contact Group on Article 18.2(a) Co-Chair Luiz
Alberto Figueiredo Machado (Brazil); Maria Luisa del Rio
Mispireta (Peru); and Michiko Miyano
(Japan) |
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