At their eighth meeting, in decision
BS-VIII/16, the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety requested the Executive Secretary to continue convening, in cooperation with relevant organizations, subject to the availability of resources, regional and subregional capacity-building activities, such as online training and face-to-face workshops in the fields of sampling, detection and identification of living modified organisms (LMOs) with a view to assisting Parties in fulfilling the requirements under Article 17 and towards achieving the relevant outcomes of the Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for the period 2011-2020.
With support from the Government of Japan, through the Japan Biodiversity Fund, and from the Government of the Republic of Korea, through the Korea Biosafety Capacity Building Initiative, and in collaboration with Department of Chemistry of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity organized the Asia-Pacific Workshop on the Detection and Identification of Living Modified Organisms in Kuala Lumpur from 20 to 24 March 2017.
The objectives of the workshop were to provide theoretical and practical training on (a) sampling, detection and identification of LMOs in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and (b) laboratory methodologies used for the analysis of test samples, as well as to share experiences and assess national needs and gaps for the effective implementation of the relevant outcomes under the Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol.
As part of the participants'
conclusions and recommendations following the workshop, they agreed that a series of online activities by the group would facilitate the consolidation of the knowledge gained during the workshop and encourage the sharing of information between labs within the region. As such the participants of the workshop requested that the Secretariat organize online discussions to facilitate participants continued sharing of knowledge and practical experiences on the following topics:
- Sample preparation: Sharing of practical experiences and knowledge on sample preparation from different matrices including considerations for troubleshooting;
- Extraction methods: Compilation of information on extraction procedures from difficult samples, such as oily seeds and honey; and
- Science-Policy Interface: Facilitate the exchange of views among policy makers and scientists to discuss the strengths and limitations of detection methods in order to inform policy making, including policies to set requirements for identification and quantification from exporters.
In light of these requests the Secretariat has developed this page to follow up with these activities.
