Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Contents
Part 1:
What is the Protocol on Biosafety?
Part 2:
How does the Protocol work?
Part 3:
What can you do?
Part 4:
Conclusion
II
PART 1:
What is the Protocol
on Biosafety?
• An agreement between different
countries
• Created as an additional agreement to
the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD)
• Agreed in January 2000
• Started to have legal Force: September
2003
• 166 countries joined the agreement so
far
• 6 main meetings of the governing body
to date
• Next meeting of the Parties: 6 – 10
October 2014; Republic of Korea
Goal
To promote environmental safety in
import-export of living modified organisms
(LMOs) that are produced through modern
techniques of biotechnology.
Biotechnology
10,000 years ago
• For example, traditional fermentation techniques
used to make bread or cheese or traditional
animal and plant breeding techniques.
35 years ago - Modern Biotechnology
• Researchers can take a single gene from a plant
or animal cell or from a bacteria and insert it in
another plant or animal cell in a manner that was
not known in traditional breeding.
+
Promises: Improved agriculture and more food
Example: Crops tolerant to water shortages and some
diseases
-
Concerns: Possible loss of biodiversity and harm
to human health
Example: May result in undesired changes in the
existing biodiversity.
=
Biosafety: Efforts to reduce the possible risks
from modern biotechnology and its products.
You can have LMOs in
the form of:
• Seeds or live fish
• Grains like corn or canola
• Micro-organisms like bacteria used in
laboratory or for other purposes
PART 2:
How does the Protocol work?
Objective: Safe Transfer, Handling and Use of LMOs
Exporters inform importers and then importers take informed decisions
•Assess if the plants or anmials developed domestically or introduced into their
territory pose any risk to the environment or health.
•Make sure that LMOs shipped from one country to another are safely handled,
transported and packaged.
•International shipments of LMOs must come with documents that clearly identify
the contents of the shipment.
•Provide or share with other countries information on and experience with LMOs.
Systems to Help Countries:
Sharing Information Online in the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH)
Building Capacity in Developing Countries
PART 3:
What can you do?
One Way to Take Action:
Celebrate the United Nations
Decade on Biodiversity in
2011-2020
Highlight what biosafety has
done to protect biodiversity
The Protocol has contributed
to the 2010 Target as it has
prevented loss of biodiversity
Learn about biosafety
• Visit biosafety website and its Biosafety ClearingHouse (BCH)
• Join the RSS on Biosafety
• Learn about the LMOs that may be in your
country
• Learn why biosafety is important
Help Take Action to Make Sure there is Biosafety
• Inform others
• Contact your countries focal points, journalists,
nongovernmental organizations and businesses
• Discuss with your teachers on the possible
development and use educational toolkits on
biodiversity and biosafety
• Create a factsheet in your language for use by
your community
• Create a youth biodiversity and biosafety
network to exchange information
PART 4:
Conclusion
•
Biosafety is an issue for
everyone. Every individual,
inlcuding youth, has a
responsibility and a role to
play in making sure that
LMOs do not negatively affect
biodiversity and human
health
•
•
•
Living organisms are made up of genetic
materials. Scientists have found a way to take
genes from some species and insert them into
other species to find new varities or breeds of
plants or animals.
Some people see modern biotechnology as a
way to have more food around the world. The
new technology can solve the need for food, but
it can also cause some problems. These potential
problems need to be studied carefully.
It is important to make sure that LMOs have no
negative effects on biological diversity and
human health.
The Protocol has requirements that contribute to
ensuring safety in the use of biotechnology. It is
like a textbook that explains how countries
should turn goals into action.
Further Information
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD)
413 Saint-Jacques Street, suite 800
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel.: +1 (514) 288-2220
Fax: +1 (514) 288-6588
Visit the Youth Guide to
E-mail:
Biodiversity
-Biosafety and Agriculture
section
http://www.cbd.int/youth/
secretariat@cbd.int
Protocol website:
www.cbd.int/biosafety
Biosafety Clearing-House:
http://bch.cbd.int/