What has been done on assessment and review

COP-MOP deliberations

At the third meeting, the COP-MOP considered the issue of assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol, including its procedures and annexes in the context of Article 35 of the Protocol. In decision BS-III/15, Parties, other Governments as well as relevant organizations and other stakeholders were invited to submit their views evaluating the effectiveness of the Protocol and assessing the procedures and annexes under the Protocol. This process aimed at identifying difficulties arising from the implementation of the Protocol as well as suggestions for appropriate indicators/criteria and modalities for evaluating its effectiveness, for consideration by COP-MOP at its fourth meeting.

At the fourth meeting, the COP-MOP conducted the first evaluation of the effectiveness of the Protocol. It was noted, based on the analysis of the first national reports and the responses to a questionnaire that was sent to all Parties, that Parties had gained limited experience in the implementation of the Protocol. The COP-MOP recognised that this lack of operational experience did not provide a good basis for effective assessment and review of the Protocol then.

In order to facilitate the second assessment and review of the Protocol and its annexes and procedures the COP-MOP, in decision BS-IV/15, requested the Secretariat to: (i) develop a sound methodological approach based on the information contained in the first national reports, the responses to the “effectiveness questionnaire”, the reports of the Compliance Committee, information on the Biosafety Clearing-House and any other relevant documents; and (ii) draft criteria or indicators that could apply in the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Protocol.

In decision BS-IV/15, the COP-MOP also invited Parties to make submissions on a Strategic Plan for the Protocol and requested the Secretariat to present a draft Strategic Plan for consideration at its fifth meeting. In this regard, the Secretariat prepared a draft Strategic Plan and initiated consultative processes which facilitated input from a wide cross-section of Parties and relevant organizations.

At the fifth meeting, the COP-MOP, in decision BS-V/15, adopted a framework and methodology for undertaking the second assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol, including the indicators to be used. It decided that the scope of the second assessment and review would focus primarily on evaluating the status of implementation of 15 core elements that are specified in the annex to the above decision. It was also decided that the evaluation would be based on information through the second national reports, BCH, and information made available through the Compliance Committee, the capacity-building coordination mechanism and other relevant processes. The Parties agreed that the third assessment and review of the Protocol be conducted in conjunction with the mid term review of the implementation of the Strategic Plan at COP-MOP 8, using, among other things, information collected through the third national reports.

At the sixth meeting, the COP-MOP, in decision BS-VI/15, decided that the data and information contained in the analysis of the status of implementation of 15 core elements of the Protocol will form the baseline for measuring progress in implementing the Protocol, in particular the subsequent evaluation of the effectiveness of the Protocol and the mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Strategic Plan. It also decided that the Secretariat would undertake a survey to gather information corresponding to indicators in the Strategic Plan, review the information gathered and make the results available at COP-MOP 7. In addition, the Secretariat was requested to develop a sound methodological approach for the third assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol focusing primarily on the effectiveness of its institutional processes, annexes, procedures and mechanisms.