Risk assessment and risk management
The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
Noting
the review of existing guidance materials relevant to risk assessment and
risk management (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/9), prepared by the Executive Secretary
for the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting
of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
Recalling
its decision to consider, at its second meeting, the development of guidance
and a framework for a common approach in risk assessment and risk management
(decision BS-I/12, annex, paragraph 4 (b)), and noting that there are
various approaches for guidance on risk assessment and risk management, as
reflected in paragraph 8 of review of existing guidance materials (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/9),
Acknowledging that any guidance on risk assessment and risk management developed
by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to
the Protocol should support a harmonized approach, in accordance with annex
III of the Protocol, taking into account internationally agreed principles
and techniques developed by relevant international organizations and bodies,
Recalling
that risk assessment and other scientific and technical expertise, and risk
management, have been identified as key elements requiring concrete action
under the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation
of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (decision BS-I/5, annex I, paragraph
3),
Recalling also its decision I/9, adopted at its first meeting, requesting Parties
to submit interim national reports on implementation of the Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety two years after the entry into force of the Protocol, and noting
that the format for reporting includes a section on risk assessment and risk
management,
1. Requests the Executive
Secretary to include the materials listed in the annex of the review of existing
guidance materials (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/9) in the Biosafety Information
Resource Centre on the Biosafety Clearing-House, and encourages
Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to contribute further
to the Biosafety Information Resource Centre on the Biosafety Clearing-House,
by registering additional guidance materials and other scientific and technical
information;
2. Requests the Executive
Secretary to convene, prior to the fourth meeting of the Conference of the
Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, and subject
to the necessary financial resources being made available, regional workshops
on capacity-building and exchange of experiences on risk assessment and risk
management of living modified organisms, taking into account the results of
the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment referred
to in paragraph 4 below, and also taking into account experience and expertise
in the context of relevant international agreements and bodies;
3. Reminds Parties to submit
their interim reports on implementation of the Protocol by 11 September
2005, in accordance with decision BS-I/9, and encourages Parties to
include, in accordance with the section of the reporting format related to
risk assessment and risk management, information on experiences and progress
in implementing Articles 15 and 16, including any obstacles or impediments
encountered;
4. Decides to establish
an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment, according to the specific
terms of reference annexed to the present decision, and welcomes the
generous offer of the Government of Italy to provide the necessary financial
support for a meeting of the Group prior to the third meeting of the Conference
of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol;
5. Requests the Executive
Secretary to compile the information on risk assessment and risk management
submitted by Parties in their interim national reports, for inclusion in a
synthesis report for consideration by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group referred
to in paragraph 4 above;
6. Requests the Executive
Secretary to prepare for the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties
serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, a pre-sessional paper
regarding risk assessment and risk management that synthesizes:
(a) The findings of the meeting
of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment referred to in paragraph
4 above;
(b) Information on experiences
and progress in implementing Articles 15 and 16 received in the interim national
reports under the Protocol, noting that this information will be reviewed
in a synthesis report prepared in advance of the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical
Expert Group on Risk Assessment;
(c) The submissions on risk assessment
and risk management received from Parties, other Governments and international
organizations (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/INF/2), as well as the synthesis of views
and compilation of guidance materials (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/9).
Annex
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE AD HOC TECHNICAL EXPERT GROUP ON RISK ASSESSMENT
1. The Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group shall:
(a) Include experts from relevant
international organizations and bodies as observers;
(b) Consider the nature and scope
of existing approaches to risk assessment based on national experiences and
existing guidance materials;
(c) Evaluate the relevance of existing
approaches and guidance materials to risk assessment under the Protocol, and
identify gaps in those existing approaches and guidance materials;
(d) Identify specific areas where
limitations in capacity may be an impediment to effective implementation of
the risk assessment provisions of the Protocol at national level, and where
capacity-building activities may be particularly important,
(e) Submit a report for consideration
by the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting
of the Parties to the Protocol.
2. The deliberations of the
Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group shall be based primarily on:
(a) Information provided in the
interim national reports referred to in paragraphs 3 and 5 of this decision;
(b) Guidance materials listed in
the annex to the review of existing guidance material relevant to risk assessment
and risk management (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/9);
(c) Any other relevant materials
made available by the Secretariat.
