This module contains introductory sections explaining basic concepts in biosafety and an introduction to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and other international biosafety-related bodies and organizations. Under the section on biosafety, an overview of modern biotechnology and its techniques is included. The section on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety explains the scope and objective of the Protocol, and provides an overview of Article 15, Annex III, the Biosafety Clearing-House and the precautionary approach.

This module also includes a section on other international bodies involved in risk assessment in the context of biosafety, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), as well as bilateral and multilateral agreements.