RECOMMENDATION OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES SERVING AS THE MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE PROTOCOL TO THE SEVENTH MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES ON THE GUIDANCE TO THE FINANCIAL MECHANISM
The Conference of the Parties
Welcoming the biosafety capacity-building initiatives of the Global Environment Facility and its implementing agencies,
Recognizing the need to ensure that guidance to the financial mechanism will support in a balanced manner the objectives of the Convention and its Protocol,
Urging the Council of the Global Environment Facility to ensure participation by all Council members in its meetings,
Stressing the need for mutual information, coordinated action and regular monitoring in order to avoid duplication and to identify gaps and possible synergies because of the multitude of different actors undertaking various capacity-building initiatives, and for an active role the Executive Secretary should play in promoting this process,
Confirming that the arrangements between the Conference of the Parties and the Council of the Global Environment Facility provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its third meeting will apply, mutatis mutandis, for purposes of the Cartagena Protocol,
1. Decides to provide the following guidance to the Global Environment Facility to be implemented in a timely manner.
2. Decides also the following eligibility criteria for funding by the Global Environment Facility:
(a) All developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, including countries amongst these that are centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity, which are Parties to the Protocol, are eligible for funding by the Global Environment Facility in accordance with its mandate;
(b) All developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, including countries amongst these that are centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity, which are Parties to the Convention and provide a clear political commitment towards becoming Parties to the Protocol, shall also be eligible for funding by the Global Environment Facility for the development of National Biosafety Frameworks and the establishment of national Biosafety Clearing-Houses. Evidence of such political commitment shall take the form of a written assurance to the Executive Secretary that the country intends to become a Party to the Protocol on completion of the activities to be funded;
3. Stresses that the provision of financial resources by the Global Environment Facility shall be for country-driven activities and programmes consistent with their national priorities and objectives;
4. Invites developed country Parties, Governments, the Global Environment Facility, other donor agencies and relevant organizations to provide financial support and other assistance to developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and the small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, including countries amongst these that are centres of origin and centres of genetic diversity, to develop and implement capacity-building activities, including organization of national, regional and inter-regional capacity building workshops and preparatory meetings;
5. Invites the Global Environment Facility to extend support for demonstration projects on implementation of the national biosafety frameworks to other eligible countries;
6. Urges the Global Environment Facility to ensure a rapid implementation of its initial strategy for assisting countries to prepare for the ratification and implementation of the Protocol, and to support capacity-building for the establishment of national components of the Biosafety Clearing-House in a flexible manner, and to provide additional support for the development and/or strengthening of existing national and regional centres for training; regulatory institutions; risk assessment and risk management; infrastructure for LMO detection, testing, identification and long-term monitoring; legal advice; decision-making; handling of socio-economic considerations; awareness-raising and technology transfer for biosafety;
7. Notes that the role of the Global Environment Facility, in accordance with its mandate, in the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol, adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at its first meeting, includes:
(a) Providing funding and other assistance to build necessary legislative and administrative frameworks, and for training in risk assessment and risk management;
(b) Deciding on further areas for financial support for capacity-building in accordance with the identified priority needs of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, responses to the questionnaires, the outcomes of inter-sessional workshops, and its previous pilot project on biosafety;
(c) Implementing the GEF Strategy to assist countries to ratify and implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;
(d) Facilitating the provision of technical support; and
(e) Facilitating the use of existing and developing regional networks.
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