Ghana | BCH-NR3-GH-109454 | Third National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety | Biosafety Clearing-House

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Third National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR3)
  |  
BCH-NR3-GH-109454-1   |   PDF   |   Print   |  
last updated: 30 Nov 2015
General Information


a. Representatives of the Board of Directors of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA)<br />b. Members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)<br />c. Representatives of the Regulatory Agencies<br />d. Representatives of the Academia<br />e. Representatives of Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs)<br />f. Representatives of the press<br />g. Representatives&nbsp; of External Partners. <br />
EN

13 Nov 2015
27 Nov 2015
Party to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Yes
EN
Article 2 – General provisions
A domestic regulatory framework is fully in place
EN
2012
EN
  • One or more national biosafety laws
  • One or more national biosafety regulations
  • One or more sets of biosafety guidelines
  • Other laws, regulations or guidelines that indirectly apply to biosafety
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Less than 5
EN
Yes
EN
Recruitment of staff is on-going. Regulations for the full implementation of the Law are being prepared.
EN
Article 5 - Pharmaceuticals
Yes, to some extent
EN
No
EN
The Food and Drugs Authority has the mandate to regulate pharmaceuticals in Ghana. The Veterinary Services Directorate also regulates&nbsp; pharmaceuticals in of animals health.
EN
Article 6 – Transit and Contained use
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Articles 7 to 10 – Advance Informed Agreement (AIA) and intentional introduction of LMOs into the environment
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
None
EN
Article 11 – Procedure for living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing (LMOs-FFP)
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Article 12 – Review of decision
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
None
EN
Article 13 – Simplified procedure
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
Article 14 – Bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements and arrangements
No
EN
Articles 15 & 16 – Risk Assessment and Risk Management
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
50 or more
EN
50 or more
EN
50 or more
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
  • Field trial
In some cases only
EN
Yes, always
EN
10 or less
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
All the answers relating to articles 14 and 16 are for Confined Field Trials
EN
Article 17 – Unintentional transboundary movements and emergency measures
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Never
EN
Article 18 – Handling, transport, packaging and identification
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Existing types of documentation
EN
Yes
EN
Existing types of documentation
EN
Yes
EN
Existing types of documentation
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
One or more
EN
No
EN
One or more
EN
Yes
EN
None
EN
The country is considering the identification and certification of some laboratories for detection of LMOs.
EN
Article 19 – Competent National Authorities and National Focal Points
n/a
EN
Yes
EN
Article 20 – Information Sharing and the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH)
Information available and in the BCH
EN
Information available and in the BCH
EN
Information available but not in the BCH
EN
Information available and in the BCH
EN
Information available and in the BCH
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information available but only partially available in the BCH
EN
Yes, to some extent
EN
The establishment of the NBA in 2015 now brings greater autonomy to the BCH National Focal Point and improved performance.
EN
Yes
EN
Yes, always
EN
Yes
EN
Some stakeholders have had some problems accessing information.
EN
No
EN
25 or more
EN
10 or more
EN
  • 5B6177DD-5E5E-434E-8CB7-D63D67D5EBED (Electronic and print media)
In the future, other mordalities of dissemination of the publication would be considered
EN
Article 21 – Confidential information
Yes
EN
Yes, always
EN
Article 22 – Capacity-building
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Average
EN
  • Pilot Biosafety Enabling Activity
  • Development of national biosafety frameworks
  • Implementation of national biosafety frameworks
  • Building Capacity for Effective Participation in the BCH (Phase I)
  • Building Capacity for Effective Participation in the BCH (Phase II)
  • Building Capacity for Effective Participation in the BCH (Phase III)
Yes
EN
  • Institutional capacity
  • Human resources capacity development and training
  • Risk assessment and other scientific and technical expertise
  • Risk management
  • Public awareness, participation and education in biosafety
  • Information exchange and data management including participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House
  • Scientific, technical and institutional collaboration at subregional, regional and international levels
  • Scientific biosafety research relating to LMOs
No
EN
Yes
EN
  • Institutional capacity
  • Human resources capacity development and training
  • Risk assessment and other scientific and technical expertise
  • Risk management
  • Public awareness, participation and education in biosafety
  • Information exchange and data management including participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House
  • Scientific, technical and institutional collaboration at subregional, regional and international levels
  • Technology transfer
  • Identification of LMOs, including their detection
  • Socio-economic considerations
  • Implementation of the documentation requirements under Article 18.2 of the Protocol
  • Handling of confidential information
  • Measures to address unintentional and/or illegal transboundary movements of LMOs
  • Scientific biosafety research relating to LMOs
  • Taking into account risks to human health
No
EN
No
EN
1 per year or more
EN
Yes
EN
Through stakeholder consultations, gaps and needs have been identified. However, a well structured needs assessment should be conducted.
EN
Article 23 – Public awareness and participation
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
The NBA is responsible. However, they collaborate with other partners. They operate at the National/Local levels.
EN
No
EN
One or more
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes, to some extent
EN
There is the need for continuous engagement of the public
EN
  • Newspaper
  • Forums
  • Public hearings
  • 5B6177DD-5E5E-434E-8CB7-D63D67D5EBED (BCH)
Forums
EN
Yes
EN
3 or more
EN
10 or more
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Less than 5
EN
Article 24 – Non-Parties
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Article 25 – Illegal transboundary movements
Yes
EN
No
EN
Never
EN
Article 26 – Socio-economic considerations
Yes
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
Article 27 – Liability and Redress
No
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Article 28 – Financial Mechanism and Resources
1,000,000 USD or more
EN
Article 33 – Monitoring and reporting
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Other information
The implementation of the Protocol in Ghana has been smooth except a court case which was brought against it by some anti-GM group. The activities of this group has increased skeptism among the public and has therefore made the implementation of the Protocol challenging.
EN
Comments on reporting format
1. Some of the questions were ambigious e.g. "international introduction into the environment" e.g Q34 and Q35.<br />2. Some of the questions were too verbose and difficult to comprehend, e.g Q60.
EN