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National Biosafety Committee
EN
27 Feb 2026
01 Jan 2020
31 Dec 2025
No
EN
Article 2 – General provisions
Article 2 requires each Party to take the necessary and appropriate legal, administrative and other measures to implement its obligations under the Protocol
National measures are partially in place
EN
Other laws, regulations or guidelines that indirectly apply to biosafety
• Jamaica principal environmental legislation, that is the NRCA Act includes a permit category Introduction of genetically modified organisms (other than for food or feed) Organisms • The Plants (Importation) Control Regulations, 1997 (amended in 2005) regulates, inter alia, genetically modified plants
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
Yes in the action plan for the cross-sectoral National Biosafety Committee.
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
1 to 4
EN
No
EN
With regards to #11, Jamaica aims to increase the number and expertise of staff qualified to administer biosafety functions. Jamaica has implemented some activities, a national Biosafety policy has been developed the NBC has been established and operational; legislation is in place that partially covers some of the measures.
EN
Article 5 – Pharmaceuticals
No
EN
EN
Article 6 – Transit and contained use
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
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
EN
Jamaica is in the process of establishing the competent national authority for environment, health and agriculture and as well as an officer to receive notification regarding emergency measures.
EN
Article 11 – Procedure for living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing (LMOs-FFP)
Yes
EN
No
EN
None
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
The Plants (Importation) Control Regulations 1997, part II relates to Genetically Modified Plants.
EN
None
EN
EN
Article 12 – Review of decisions
No
EN
No
EN
EN
Article 13 – Simplified procedure
No
EN
No
EN
EN
Article 14 – Bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements and arrangements
None
EN
EN
EN
Articles 15 & 16 – Risk assessment and risk management
Yes
EN
Other(Risk assessment would be requested under the relevant category on the NRCA Act where an environmental permit would be required for the importation.)
Yes, to some extent:
EN
It is standard practice that decisions regarding importation of organisms are informed by risk assessments.
EN
No
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
There is likely a need for further guidance and updated capacity-building initiatives. The last workshops attended on biosafety and risk assessment by a member of the National Biosafety Committee was held in Barbados in 2007 and Trinidad in 2004.
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
None
EN
None
EN
Yes
EN
Manual on risk assessment of LMOs developed by the CBD Secretariat 3
Guidance on risk assessment of LMOs developed by the Online Forum and the AHTEG on Risk Assessment and Risk Management 4
Other materials/guidance:(Biosafety and risk assessment concepts are introduced to students through the undergraduate Biotechnology course offered by the Department of Life Sciences. In addition, students are exposed to and trained in various techniques used to develop and test LMOs through courses offered by both the Department of Life Sciences and the Department of Biochemistry.)
Jamaica requires technical assistance and capacity building in the areas of risk assessment and risk management of LMO and the monitoring of LMOs released into the environment.
EN
Article 17 – Unintentional transboundary movements5 and emergency measures
5 In accordance with the operational definition adopted in decision CP-VIII/16, “‘Unintentional transboundary movement’ is a transboundary movement of a living modified organism that has inadvertently crossed the national borders of a Party where the living modified organism was released, and the requirements of Article 17 of the Protocol apply to such transboundary movements only if the living modified organism involved is likely to have significant adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, in the affected or potentially affected States.”
No
EN
None
EN
None
EN
No
EN
EN
Article 18 – Handling, transport, packaging and identification
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
No
EN
No
EN
None
EN
Jamaica has prepared a project which has as a key deliverable, a national biosafety legislation. This legislation will specify provisions to regulation measures outlined in the Protocol text.
EN
Article 19 – Competent national authorities and national focal points
Yes
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Establishment and operationalization of a National Biosafety Committee
EN
EN
Article 20 – Information-sharing and the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH):
Information available and in the BCH
EN
Information not available
EN
Information not available
EN
Information available but only partially available 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 available but not 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
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
National Biosafety Committee
EN
Not applicable (no decisions were taken)
EN
No
EN
No
EN
EN
Article 21 – Confidential information
Yes, to some extent:
EN
Under the Access for Information legislation guidance is provided on sharing of information from government agencies
EN
Yes, always
EN
EN
Article 22 – Capacity-building
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Jamaica has developed the project titled “Strengthening Jamaica’s capacity to Implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety”.
EN
Yes
EN
Information exchange and data management, including participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House
Yes
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Institutional capacity and human resources
Integration of biosafety in cross-sectoral and sectoral legislation, policies and institutions (mainstreaming biosafety)
Risk assessment and other scientific and technical expertise
Risk management
Technology transfer
Implementation of the documentation requirements for handling, transport, packaging and identification
Taking into account risks to human health
Liability and redress
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
EN
Article 23 – Public awareness and participation
Yes
EN
No
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
Stakeholder consultation as required under the NRCA Act and in accordance with the Consultation Guidelines for the development of national policies.
EN
Yes, to some extent:
EN
see response to 129 above
EN
Not applicable (no decisions were taken)
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Biosafety awareness and outreach tends to be project based or ad hoc presentations requested by agencies.
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
#132 is not applicable to Jamaica.
EN
Article 24 – Non-Parties
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
EN
Article 25 – Illegal transboundary movements 7
7 In accordance with the operational definition adopted in decision CP-VIII/16, “‘Illegal transboundary movement’ is a transboundary movement of living modified organisms carried out in contravention of the domestic measures to implement the Protocol that have been adopted by the Party concerned”
No
EN
None
EN
EN
Article 26 – Socio-economic considerations
No
EN
No
EN
Not applicable (no decisions were taken)
EN
EN
Article 28 – Financial mechanism and resources
500,000 USD or more
EN
Article 33 – Monitoring and reporting
Article 33 requires Parties to monitor the implementation of its obligations under the Cartagena Protocol and to report to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on measures taken to implement the Protocol.
No
EN
Cooperation
Goal B.4 of the Implementation Plan for the Cartagena Protocol addresses cooperation and coordination on biosafety issues at the national, regional and international levels. Questions related to this goal are presented below, including questions related to cooperation under different provisions of the Protocol.
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
No
EN
Yes
EN
Yes
EN
No
EN
No
EN
EN
Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress
Parties to the Cartagena Protocol that are not yet Party to the Supplementary Protocol are also invited to respond to the questions below
EN
EN
Other information
EN
Comments on reporting format
Some of the questions needed a 'not applicable' option.