Taking note of the experience gained and lessons learned in handling scientific and technical issues through the establishment of ad hoc technical expert groups and online discussion forums such as the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Risk Assessment and Risk Management and the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on the Second Assessment and Review of the Protocol,
Decides:
(a)That, at this stage, there is no need to establish an open-ended subsidiary body for scientific and technical advice under the Protocol;
(b)To continue establishing, as needed and subject to the availability of funds, ad hoc technical expert groups with specific mandates to provide advice on one or more scientific and technical issues;
(c)To take into account the experience gained and lessons learned from previous ad hoc technical expert groups in establishing similar expert groups in the future, including the convening, as appropriate, open-ended online expert forums prior to any face-to-face meetings of future ad hoc technical expert groups;
(d)To consider the need to establish an open-ended subsidiary body for scientific and technical advice under the Protocol at its eighth meeting in conjunction with the third assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol and the mid-term evaluation of the Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for the period 2011-2020.
