BS-IV/6. Cooperation with other organizations, conventions and initiatives

The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,

Having considered the note by the Executive Secretary on the status and experiences gained to date in promoting cooperation with other organizations, conventions and initiatives (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/4/6),

1. Welcomes the partnerships established by the Secretariat with, among others, the World Customs Organization and the secretariats of other multilateral environmental agreements, with a view to promoting synergy and enhancing capacity-building efforts under the Protocol in a cost effective manner;

2. Further welcomes the participation of the Secretariat in the Green Customs Initiative which is in line with, in particular, paragraph (f) of decision BS II/6 and encourages the Secretariat to contribute to the organization of partnership meetings within available resources;

3. Commends the Executive Secretary on his sustained efforts to strengthen cooperation with other organizations, in particular with the World Trade Organization, and requests the Executive Secretary to further intensify efforts to gain observer status in the World Trade Organization committees on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT);

4. Further commends the Executive Secretary on his efforts to strengthen cooperation with Codex Alimentarius Commission, particularly in the work of its Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology;

5. Requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a) Continue pursuing, reinforcing and intensifying, as the case may be, cooperative arrangements with all the organizations referred to in decision BS-II/6;

(b) Further explore the potential of other relevant organizations and processes that can contribute, financially or otherwise, to the effective implementation of the Protocol, in particular with regard to building capacities in developing countries;

(c) Report to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at its fifth meeting on the implementation of the present decision.