This decision has been retired.
Work plan of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
The Conference of the Parties,
Welcoming the signatures of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety that
have already taken place and reiterating the call of decision EM-I/3 to all
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to sign the Protocol at the
earliest opportunity, and to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance
or approval, or instruments of accession, as appropriate, as soon as
possible,
Reiterating also the call of decision EM-I/3 upon States that are not
Parties to the Convention to ratify, accept, approve or accede to it, as
appropriate, without delay, thereby enabling them also to become Parties to
the Protocol,
Recalling the mandate given to the open-ended ad hoc Intergovernmental
Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in decision EM-I/3 to
undertake, with the support of the Executive Secretary, the preparations
necessary for the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol,
Reaffirming that the meeting of the Parties is the only sovereign body
with regard to the implementation of the Protocol,
Emphasizing the preparatory character of the work to be undertaken by
the Intergovernmental Committee in order to facilitate the work of the first
meeting of the Parties to the Protocol,
Underscoring therefore that, without prejudice to the provisions of the
Protocol, including time-frames, the meeting of the Parties is the only body
entitled to decide on issues that are required to be addressed during its
meetings, and to what extent and in which manner it wishes to use the
preparatory work of the Intergovernmental Committee,
Noting that a work programme should reflect all issues that the meeting
of the Parties to the Protocol might wish to address at its first meeting,
Emphasizing the necessity to complete as early as possible the
preparations for the entry into force of the Protocol,
Emphasizing also the priority of launching the Biosafety Clearing-House
no later than the entry into force of the Protocol, and also the need to
engage in capacity-building as soon as possible,
Welcoming the decision taken by the Council of the Global Environment
Facility at its fifteenth meeting with regard to supporting activities that
will assist countries to prepare for the entry into force of the Protocol,
1. Endorses the work plan for the Intergovernmental Committee for
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety as contained in the annex to the present
decision;
2. Requests the Executive Secretary to invite all relevant
stakeholders to contribute to the development and/or strengthening of
capacities in biosafety for the purpose of the effective implementation of
the Protocol, in particular in developing country Parties, and to report on
progress made to the first meeting of the Parties;
3. Requests also the Executive Secretary to convene, prior to the
first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol
on Biosafety, the meeting of technical experts on the Biosafety Clearing-House
referred to in the table at the end of decision EM-I/3, and reiterates
its invitation to Parties and States to make contributions for the
supplementary budget for biosafety to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BE)
for Additional Voluntary Contributions in Support of Approved Activities for
the biennium 1999-2000, as presented in the table at the end of decision
EM-I/3;
4. Welcomes the generous offer made by the Government of France to
host the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee fothe Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety from 11 to 15 December 2000 in Montpellier.
Annex
WORK PLAN OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY
A. Issues for consideration by the ICCP at its first meeting
1. Decision-making (Article 10, para. 7)
Issue: Identification of basic elements for appropriate procedures and
mechanisms to facilitate decision-making by Parties of import.
2. Information-sharing (Article 20, Article 19)
Issues:
- Determination of needs of Parties
- Overview of existing activities/systems and possibilities for
cooperation
- Design of data-input systems
- Development of common formats for reporting, e.g., decisions,
national legislations, points of contact, focal points, summaries of
risk assessments, etc.
- Development of operational systems, information-management policies
and procedures for receiving and making information available,
including quality-insurance procedures
- Means to ensure confidentiality of information
- Financial and technological resource requirements
- Other issues (such as Article 5).
3. Capacity-building (Article 22, Article 28)
Issues:
- Identification of the needs and involvement of Parties
- Establishment and role of the roster of experts
- Overview of completed activities in the field of biosafety (e.g.,
capacity-building workshop in Mexico)
- Overview of existing programmes/projects/activities and
possibilities for cooperation (e.g., UNEP activities and possible
role)
- Multilateral, regional and bilateral cooperation and the need for
common understanding and harmonization
- Involvement of the private sector
- Elements of capacity-building with respect to risk assessment and
management in accordance with Article 15, Article 16 and Annex III
of the Protocol
- Role of the Secretariat of the Convention
- Financial and technological resource requirements
- Other issues (such as Article 6)
4. Handling, transport, packaging and identification (Article 18)
Issues:
- Overview of relevant international rules and standards pertaining to
handling, transport, packaging and identification
- Consideration of modalities for developing standards with regard to
handling, transport, packaging and identification
5. Compliance (Article 34)
Issues:
- Elements for a compliance regime
- Options for a compliance regime
B. Issues for consideration by the ICCP at its second meeting
1. Liability and redress (Article 27)
Issue: Elaboration of a draft recommendation on the process for
elaboration of international rules and procedures in the field of
liability and redress for damage resulting from transboundary movements
of living modified organisms, including, inter alia:
- Review of existing relevant instruments
- Identification of elements for liability and redress
2. Monitoring and reporting (Article 33)
Issue: Format and timing for reporting.
3. Secretariat (Article 31)
Issue: Development of a programme budget for the biennium following
the entry into force of the Protocol.
4. Guidance to the financial mechanism (Article 28, para. 5, Article 22)
Issue: Elaboration of guidance for the financial mechanism.
5. Rules of procedure for the meeting of the Parties
Issue: Consideration of rules of procedure.
6. Consideration of other issues necessary for effective implementation of
the Protocol (e.g., Article 29, para. 4)
7. Elaboration of a draft provisional agenda for the first meeting of the
Parties
Items for continued consideration from the first meeting of the ICCP
8. Decision-making (Article 10, para. 7)
9. Information-sharing (Article 20)
10. Capacity-building (Article 22, Article 28, para. 28)
11 Handling, transport, packaging and identification (Article 18)
Issue: Modalities for a process for discussion on Article 18,
paragraph 2 (a) by the first meeting of the Parties.
12. Compliance (Article 34).
