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Third National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR3)
  |  
BCH-NR3-LS-109450-3   |   PDF   |   Print   |  
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published: 29 Nov 2015 last updated: 25 Jul 2016
General Information

To view the current National Focal Point information, click here.

Department of Environment; Ministry of Health (Health Research and Laboratory Services); Department of Agricultural Research; Department of Livestock; Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (NGO); Ministry of Law Constitution and Human Rights
EN

30 Sep 2011
30 Nov 2015
Party to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
Yes
EN
Article 2 – General provisions
A domestic regulatory framework is partially in place
EN
2005
EN
  • No instruments are in place
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Lesotho is implementing the provisions of the protocol through biosafety Policy
EN
Article 5 - Pharmaceuticals
Yes, to some extent
EN
Yes
EN
Medicines Order 1973 is used to regulate all pharmaceuticals
EN
Article 6 – Transit and Contained use
No
EN
No
EN
Articles 7 to 10 – Advance Informed Agreement (AIA) and intentional introduction of LMOs into the environment
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
None
EN
There is no legislation to implement Article 7 to 10. However Biosafety Bill 2015 is at an advanced stage
EN
Article 11 – Procedure for living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing (LMOs-FFP)
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
There is no legislation to implement Article 11. However Biosafety Bill 2015 is at an advanced stage
EN
Article 12 – Review of decision
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
There is no legislation to implement Article 12. However Biosafety Bill 2015 is at an advanced stage.
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
None
EN
None
EN
None
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
n/a
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Article 17 – Unintentional transboundary movements and emergency measures
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Never
EN
Article 18 – Handling, transport, packaging and identification
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
None
EN
Article 19 – Competent National Authorities and National Focal Points
No
EN
No
EN
Article 20 – Information Sharing and the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH)
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
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 not available
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
10 or more
EN
10 or more
EN
  • National website
  • National Libraries
  • 5B6177DD-5E5E-434E-8CB7-D63D67D5EBED (Posters; Calendars; Brochures; News letters etc)
Article 21 – Confidential information
No
EN
No
EN
Article 22 – Capacity-building
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Average
EN
  • 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)
Yes
EN
  • Public awareness, participation and education in biosafety
  • Information exchange and data management including participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House
  • Measures to address unintentional and/or illegal transboundary movements of 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
  • 5B6177DD-5E5E-434E-8CB7-D63D67D5EBED (Law enforcement)
No
EN
Yes
EN
1 per year or more
EN
No
EN
Article 23 – Public awareness and participation
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
The Department of Environment through the Outreach Division, at national level carried-out awareness programmes on Biosafety
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
One or more
EN
One or more
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
Not applicable
EN
Article 24 – Non-Parties
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Article 25 – Illegal transboundary movements
No
EN
No
EN
Never
EN
Article 26 – Socio-economic considerations
Yes
EN
Not applicable
EN
None
EN
There has never been applications regarding importation of GMOs.
EN
No
EN
Article 27 – Liability and Redress
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Article 28 – Financial Mechanism and Resources
1,000,000 USD or more
EN
Article 33 – Monitoring and reporting
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Other information
Enactment of the legislation is the major impediment to effective implementation of the Protocol. Enforcement is crossly dependant on the presence of the law to address all the articles of the Protocol. There might be variation between 2nd NR and 3rd NR as the first answers in 2nd NR were based on the presence of the National Biosafety Police not considering the absence of the legislation which is enforceable in the courts of law. The legislation is currently at an advanced stage and soon will be tabled before Parliament.
EN
Comments on reporting format
The questions were fairly easy to follow as it was addressing implementation issues as addressed by each article of the Protocol, However in the absence of the legislation we were confusing the bottlenecks of implementation which could be addressed by the Policy versus the legislation.
EN