How to submit “National Records”

In BCH, National Records are published by Governments and include national information relevant for the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol, as well as information Parties are obliged to provide in accordance with the Protocol. They can be submitted by national users only, who are:

• BCH National Focal Points (BCH-NFPs); 
• Cartagena National Focal Points (CPB-NFPs);
• National Authorized Users (NAUs).

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In ABSCH, National Records are published by Governments and include national information relevant for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, as well as information Parties are obliged to provide in accordance with the Protocol. They can be submitted by national users only, who are:

• ABS Publishing Authorities (ABSCH-PAs); 
• ABS National Focal Points (ABS-FPs);
• National Authorized Users (NAUs).

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Sign in to the Submit page.

Step 2: On the Dashboard:

• Click on the ‘+’ icon next to a record type to access the online form for creating a new record.

                                       --OR--

• Click on the ‘list icon’ icon next to a record type. This will open the page with the summary of all the records for that record type. Click on the Add New button.

                                       --OR--

• Click on the record type to access the page with the summary of all the records for that record type, and then click on the Add New button.

         An “Introduction” will open.

Step 3: Click on the “Submission form”.

Step 4: Fill in the “Submission form” and complete the fields according to the instructions. Mandatory fields are indicated with a red asterisk (*). 

You can also save your record by clicking on the Save Draft button located on the top and bottom right corners. Frequently saving your records is recommended, especially, in case of intermittent internet connections.

Step 5: Click on “Review” to verify the information in your record. If some of the mandatory fields have not been completed, the “Review” will highlight them. You will not be able to publish the record unless all mandatory fields are completed.

Step 6: If you are a BCH-NFP / ABSCH-PA:  Click on the “Publish” tab and then again on the Publish button. As a result, the record will be published.

Step 7: If you are a CPB-NFP / ABS-FP or NAU: Click on the “Publish” tab and then on the Request Publication button. A "Publishing Request" box will appear. Write an additional message, if you wish, and click on the Send Request button. An e-mail message will then be sent to the BCH-NFP/ABSCH-PA with your request. The record will now have the "Pending approval" status. Once it is published, you will be notified by e-mail and the record’s status will change from "Pending approval” to “Published”.

Step 8: If you are a BCH-NFP / ABSCH-PA and need to publish the record created by a CPB-NFP / ABS-FP or NAU: All records pending your approval are visible on your Dashboard. Whenever a new request for publishing is made, you will receive an automated "publishing request" message at your registered e-mail.  Click on the link provided in the e-mail message. You will be prompted to log into the Clearing-House with your registered account. Once logged in, you will see the details of the "Publishing Request" record with the following buttons: Approve, Edit, Reject. Click on Approve to publish the record. Respectively, you can also edit or reject the request. If you decide to reject a request, the application will allow you to specify the reason.

Important Remarks: 

• Each National Record that is created (“draft”, “pending request” and “published”) is added to your Government’s list of national records that is shared through the Dashboard among all the national users for your country (Focal Points and NAUs).
• Once a publication request is sent to the BCH-NFP / ABSCH-PA, the NAU and CPB-NFP / ABS-FP will no longer be able to edit it. They will only be able to cancel it by opening it from the Dashboard and then clicking on the Cancel request button.

How to submit “Reference Records”

Reference Records include a number of relevant resources and information. They can be submitted by any registered user (Parties, Non-Parties, governments, civil society and relevant stakeholders). However, it is the responsibility of the Secretariat to verify the accuracy and completeness of these records prior to their publication. Therefore, Reference Records can be published by the Secretariat only.

**********************************************************

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1: Sign in to the Submit page.

Step 2: On the Dashboard:

• Click on the ‘+’ icon next to a record type to access the online form for creating a new record.

                                   --OR--

• Click on the ‘list icon’ icon next to a record type. This will open the page with the summary of all the records for that record type. Click on the Add New button.

                                   --OR--

• Click on the record type to access the page with the summary of all the records for that record type, and then click on the Add New button.

          An “Introduction” will open.

Step 3: Click on the “Submission form”.

Step 4: Fill in the “Submission form” and complete the fields according to the instructions. Mandatory fields are indicated with a red asterisk (*). 

You can also save your record by clicking on the Save Draft button located on the top and bottom right corners. Frequently saving your records is recommended, especially, in case of intermittent internet connections.

Step 5: Click on “Review” to verify the information in your record. If some of the mandatory fields have not been completed, the “Review” will highlight them. You will not be able to publish the record unless all mandatory fields are completed.

Step 6: Click on the “Publish” tab and then on the Request Publication button. A "Publishing Request" box will appear where you may enter, if you wish, an additional message that will accompany your request. Then, click on the Send Request button to send your request to the Secretariat. The record will now have the "Pending approval" status. Once it is published, you will be notified by e-mail and the record’s status will change from "Pending approval” to “Published”.

Important Remarks

• Once a publication request is sent to the Secretariat, you will no longer be able to edit it. You will only be able to cancel it by opening it from the Dashboard and then clicking on the Cancel request button.
• Contacts (CON) are the only records that can be published by any registered user. 

General information: “Workflow” for national users

BCH National Focal Points (BCH-NFPs) are the only national users who have the authority to publish all types of National Records in the BCH, including records created by Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety National Focal Points (CPB-NFPs) or National Authorized Users (NAUs). Once CPB-NFPs or NAUs create or edit records and submit them for publication, a workflow is created between the respective national users. A workflow is the process a record goes through in order to be published (or deleted) when more than one user is involved. 

As a BCH-NFP, you have several options when you receive a request for publication.

How to “Approve”, “Edit” or “Reject” a record: 

Step 1: Once a publishing request is made by a CPB-NFP or NAU, you will receive an automated message at your registered e-mail.  This request will also be visible on your Dashboard (below the “Welcome “ section and in the “Requests” column). 

NOTE: As a BCH -NFP, you have  83 days to publish, reject or cancel a request. In the course of the 83 days, you will receive periodic reminders by e-mail. If no action is taken within this time, the record will remain in “Draft” mode, but no more reminder notifications will be sent from the BCH. BCH-NFPs, NAUs and CPB-NFPs will be notified of the termination of the workflow accordingly by e-mail.

Step 2: Click on the link provided in the e-mail notification. You will be prompted to sign into the BCH with your registered account. 

Step 3: Once logged in, you will see the details of the "Publishing Request" record and the following buttons: Approve, Edit, Reject. 

Alternatively, once logged in to the BCH, you can also see all the records that are pending your approval on your Dashboard. Click on the record to open it.

Step 4: To publish the record: click on Approve.

Step 5: To edit the record: click on Edit, make your modifications in the “Submission form” and then publish the record.

Step 6: To reject the record: click on Reject. A pop-up box will open in which you can specify the reasons for your rejection (for example, you want your NAU to make additional changes). Once completed, click on Reject. An e-mail will be sent to the NAU or CPB-NFP informing them of your decision. Once the NAU or CPB-NFP implements your changes and re-submits the record for publishing, you will receive an e-mail with a new request for publication. 

A CPB-NFP or NAU might want to edit or delete an already published record. Any modifications made to a record by other national users need to be approved by the BCH-NFP. The process is the same as described above.

When you receive a request to “DELETE” a record:

A CPB-NFP or NAU might want to delete an already published record. In that case, the deletion of a record also needs to be approved by the BCH-NFP. As a BCH-NFP, you will also be notified by e-mail of the request for deletion. To approve deletion, just open the record and you will see two self-explanatory buttons: Reject (do not delete) and Delete.

Important Note for NAUs and CPB-NFPs about “CANCELLING” requests:

Once a record is sent for publication to the BCH-NFP, the NAU or CPB-NFP will no longer be able to edit it. They will only be able to cancel it. To cancel a request, click on the record on the Dashboard and then open it from the summary of records page. Click on the Cancel request button. The BCH-NFP will also be notified by e-mail.

Common formats are standard forms, made available in the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) in MS Word format for download, to assist users in gathering and organizing information prior to online submission. They are offline copies of the online submission forms and are available through the Submit page in all six UN languages. Common format are clearly visible on the Dashboard and can be also found on all the pages of the online “Submission form”. For easy access, they are also listed below.

It is preferable for BCH information to be submitted online through the Submit page. However, users with limited Internet access may complete common formats and submit them, duly signed, to the Secretariat by email or fax.

There is no offline common format for the Country Profile for Biosafety Clearing-House (BCP) record type.

Offline common formats are available in MS Word format and can be downloaded using the links below:

National records

• National Focal Point (NFP): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh 
• Competent National Authority (CNA): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Supplementary Protocol Competent Authority (SPCA): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Biosafety Law, Regulation, Guidelines and Agreements (LAW): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Country's Decision or any other Communication (DEC): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Risk Assessment generated by a regulatory process (RA): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• National Biosafety Website or Database (NDB): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR4): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Third National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR3): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Second National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR2): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• First National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR1): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Interim National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NRI): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Biosafety Expert (EXP): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Country Profile for Biosafety Clearing-House (BCP): N/A

   Contact (CON): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh

Reference records

• Biosafety Virtual Library Resource (VLR): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Biosafety Organization (ORG): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Laboratory for detection and identification of LMOs (LAB): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Living Modified Organism (LMO): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Genetic element (GENE): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Organism (ORGA): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Risk assessment generated by an independent or non-regulatory process (IRA): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• Capacity Development Initiative (CDI): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh
• BCH News (BCHN): ar | en | es | fr | ru | zh

Important Note

Information on the National Focal Points is the only type of national information that cannot be directly published in the BCH by Parties or non-Parties. The nomination of NFPs can be done by completing the offline common formats, available in MS Word in the 6 UN languages. An offline common format needs to be completed, duly signed by the respective authority and sent to the Secretariat as a scanned attachment by e-mail to bch@cbd.int, or it can be sent by post or fax. 

This page provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the preparation and submission of Fourth National Reports.

Question 1: What is the deadline for submission of the Fourth National Report?

1 October 2019  – i.e. 12 months prior to the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP). Parties are urged to submit their reports in a timely manner. The Fourth National Reports are the primary source of information for the combined fourth assessment and review of the Protocol and the final evaluation of the Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for the period 2011-2020. Late submissions will not be included in the compilation and analysis of the reports to be reviewed by the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) in May 2020. The SBI is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the COP-MOP for consideration at its tenth meeting. 

QUESTION 2: Who is authorized to complete the Fourth National Report online through the BCH?

National Focal Points for the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH-NFPs), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB-NFPs) and National Authorized Users (NAUs). If you are a BCH-NFP and are not sure how to designate an NAU to complete the report, please contact us at: bch@cbd.int.

Note that only BCH-NFPs can validate and publish the reports once they have been completed by CPB-NFPs or NAUs.

QUESTION 3: How is the Fourth National Report submitted?

The report is submitted online through the Dashboard of the Submit page. Log-in with the existing BCH user account is required.

To start registering/creating the report, perform the following STEPS:

STEP 1: On the Dashboard, click on the "+" sign next to the NR4 record type, OR click directly on the  record type: "Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (NR4)" and then click on the “Add New” button on the page that opens.

STEP 2:  An Introduction page will be displayed. This page contains guidelines for the use of the reporting format.

STEP 3: Click on the Submission form tab on the top bar and  then start answering the Questions which are divided into sections by numbers.

During this process, please periodically save your answers by clicking the “Save Draft” button (located on the top and bottom right side). This  action saves your report as a Draft so that you can close it and return to work on it at a later date and time. 

How can I SHARE the online DRAFT of the national report?

When you click on the “Save Draft” button, two buttons will appear on the top right corner of the online form: Share and PDF.

These buttons are also visible when you open any draft record.

• The PDF button allows you to export the record into a PDF file that you can download and share with your colleagues.
• The Share button (this is the recommended option) allows you to share your draft by using either of the two options: “Send by URL” and “Send by email”. 

“Share” button:

Once you click on the Share button, a pop-up box will open, and you will be presented with two options: “Send by URL” and “Send by email”. 

Perform ONE of the following:

• In “Send by URL”, click on the Create link button. The link will be generated and displayed in the same pop-up box. Click Copy and then paste the link into your e-mail message.

Important Note: This option allows you to share the link with both: registered Clearing-House account holders and non-registered individuals. The link you share will be in ‘read’ mode only.

• Click on the “Send by email” tab. Enter the e-mail address(es) of the recipient(s) you wish to receive your draft document. TIP: Use commas to separate multiple email addresses. Click Send. The link will be automatically generated and included in the e-mail message. The link you share will be in ‘read’ mode only.

Important Note: This option allows you to share the link with registered Clearing-House account holders only (national and regular users). Recipients must log into the Clearing-House with the email address(es) that you have entered in order to view the draft record.

Additional Information:

In both case above (“Send by URL” and “Send by email”): the link will be active for 10 days only and any updates made will be visible to the recipients until the link expires.

STEP 4: When you are done, to PUBLISH the report - perform one of the following:

• If you are a BCH-NFP and registered the report yourself: click on the Publish tab and then click the "Publish" button. As a result, the report will be published. Please note that, if you click on the Publish tab and you see an "error" message in the Review tab, it means that some mandatory questions (the ones with a red star next to them) have not been answered. Those questions will be summarized and displayed as errors. You need to answer all of those questions as you will not be able to publish your report until all of the mandatory questions are answered!     

• If you are a CPB-NFP or NAU: click on the Publish tab and then on the "Request Publication" button, which will appear only if all of the mandatory questions have been answered. A "Publishing Request" box will appear. Write an additional message, if you wish, and click the "Send Request" button. As a result, an e-mail message will be sent automatically to the BCH-NFP with your request. The report will now have the "Pending approval" status. The BCH-NFP needs to log in and review and publish the report.

• If you are a BCH-NFP and need to publish the report created by CPB-NFP or NAU: once request for publishing is made, you will receive an automated "publishing request" message at your registered e-mail. Click on the link you see in the e-mail message. You will be prompted to log in to the online format with your registered BCH account. Once logged in, you will see the details of the "Publishing Request" and the following buttons: "Approve", "Edit", "Reject". Click on "Approve" to publish the report. All records pending your approval are also visible on your Dashboard. 

You are also encouraged to use the offline template/format for the Fourth National Report (available in Microsoft Word format on the Dashboard) to gather and organize information prior to online submission. If you need any assistance, please contact us at: bch@cbd.int.

Question 4: How do I submit the report if I have limited Internet connectivity?

In this case, you may submit the completed offline template/format for the Fourth National Report in Microsoft Word format directly to the Secretariat (at secretariat@cbd.int), as an attachment to an e-mail, including a scanned copy of the first page signed. 

Question 5: What is the format of the Fourth National Report?

Most questions are in a multiple-choice format requiring only a tick in one or more boxes. Text fields are available so that Parties may provide further details.

Question 6: In what language can I submit the Fourth National Report?

The report may be submitted in any of the 6 official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Click on the ‘language’ icon on the top right corner of the BCH and then select your preferred language from the drop-down list.

Question 7: I have already submitted the Third National Report. Am I required to complete the Fourth National Report as well?

Yes. Decision BS-I/9 requires Parties to submit a National Report every four years. The Fourth National Report is intended to gather important information regarding the effectiveness of the Protocol and progress made in the implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Protocol for the period 2011-2020. The Fourth National Report format consists of a series of questions based on the provisions of the Protocol as well as questions that relate to indicators in the Strategic Plan. All questions listed in the report format contribute to measuring progress against the baseline adopted by decision BS-VI/15, paragraph 2.

The general principles that have been applied in the development of the Fourth National Report are as follows:

a) the improvement of the formulation of questions for their clarity, providing further explanation where necessary and aligning the language with the wording of the Protocol and adopted operational definitions, where applicable;

b) the removal of questions that were redundant or no longer relevant, in particular duplicate questions;

c) the revision of possible responses to some questions to improve the clarity of the answers, in particular answers that contained interval scales that offered more than one possible option;

d) the addition of questions that address mainstreaming biosafety into national biodiversity strategies and action plans, other policies and legislation; and

e) the addition of questions related to liability and redress, in light of the entry into force of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress.

Question 8: What time period is the report intended to cover?

It is intended to cover the period between the submission of the Third National Report and the date of submission of the Fourth National Report. In the case of countries that became a Party to the Protocol after 31 October 2015 (deadline for submission of the Third National Report) the time period to be covered in the Fourth National Report is the period between the entry into force of the Protocol for that Party and the date of completion/submission of the Fourth National Report.

Question 9: Why am I blocked from answering some of the questions?

Your answer in the preceding question may not require you to complete the succeeding related question(s). Simply proceed to where you are able to continue filling in the questions.

Question 10: What does the red star beside a question mean?

This indicates that the question is mandatory and that you will not be able to publish/submit your report until it is completed.

Question 11: Is my country eligible for UNEP-GEF funding to complete the Fourth National Report?

Please refer to the following notification for further details: Notification.

Eligible Parties may contact:

Alex Owusu-Biney

Portfolio Manager (Biosafety), GEF Coordination

Division of Environmental Policy Implementation

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

P. O. Box 30552 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 7624066

Fax: +254 20 7624041/42

Email: alex.owusu-biney@un.org

Web: http://www.unep.org/biosafety

The Clearing-House allows you to share your draft records with other users. 

During the submission process, as soon as you click on the Save Draft button, two buttons appear on the top right corner of the online form: Share and PDF.

These buttons are visible when you open any draft record.

• You can click on the PDF button to export data into a PDF file that you can download and then share.

           OR

• You can click on the  Share button – this is the recommended option.

“Share” button:

Once you click on the Share button, a pop-up box will open, and you will be presented with two options: “Send by URL” and “Send by email”. 

Perform ONE of the following:

• In “Send by URL”, click on the Create link button. The link will be generated and displayed in the same pop-up box. Click Copy and then paste the link into your e-mail message.

Important Note: This option allows you to share the link with both: registered Clearing-House account holders and non-registered individuals. The link you share will be in ‘read’ mode only.

              OR

• Click on the “Send by email” tab. Enter the e-mail address(es) of the recipient(s) you wish to receive your draft document. TIP: Use commas to separate multiple email addresses. Click Send. The link will be automatically generated and included in the e-mail message. The link you share will be in ‘read’ mode only.

Important Note: This option allows you to share the link with registered Clearing-House account holders only (national and regular users). Recipients must log into the Clearing-House with the email address(es) that you have entered in order to view the draft record.

Additional Information:

In both case above (“Send by URL” and “Send by email”): the link will be active for 10 days only and any updates made will be visible to the recipients until the link expires.

Account holders can subscribe to receive automatic notifications/updates when records in certain categories, selected by the users, are published in the Clearing-House. 

Users can do so by using the Preferences tab accessible through the Submit interface. The Preferences tab functions exactly the same way as “My saved searches” feature (in Search). It allows users to store search filter selections to their user profile and receive immediate e-mail notifications when new records that match the specified criteria are published. For example, users may wish to be notified every time a decision or a risk assessment record is published by specific countries or regions.

Important Note: At the moment, e-mail notifications only respond to the Global filters that are saved. That means that when new records are published, the e-mail notification will be executed based on the specified Global filters only. Sub-filters, if selected, will not be included in the query (this is temporary).

To SET UP your e-mail notification preferences:

1. On the Submit page, click on the Preferences tab.
2. Click on the Add new button.
3. In the window that opens:

- Type the title of you search.

- In Search, select the global filters of interest.

- Check the“ Send me an email when records relevant to this search are added or updated”. 

        4. Click on the Save button.

To EDIT your e-mail notification preferences:

1. Click on the Edit icon/button of the respective search.
2. In the window that opens: edit your selections (title, filters, receipt of e-mail notifications when records relevant to this search are added or updated).
3. Click on the Save button.

NOTE: to stop receiving updates  by e-mail, you can also simply deselect Email me check box. To delete the saved ‘preferences’, click on the Delete icon/button.

TIP: If you have already used “My saved searches” feature on the Search page, your saved searches will automatically be displayed in the Preferences tab. Both, the Preferences tab and “My saved searches”, function exactly the same and saved searches, once defined and saved, are shown in both places automatically.

“My saved searches” feature, available on the Search page, allows users to store search filter selections to their user preferences and receive immediate e-mail notifications when new records that match the specified criteria are published.

Important Note: At the moment, e-mail notifications only respond to the Global filters that are saved. That means that when new records are published, the e-mail notification will be executed based on the specified Global filters only. Sub-filters, if selected, will not be included in the query (this is temporary).

To SAVE your search results:

1. Select your Global filters and then click on the Save this search button.
2. In the window that opens, type the title of your search.
3. Optional: check the“ Send me an email when records relevant to this search are added or updated”. 
4. Click on the Save button.

Another way:

1. On the Search page, click on “My saved searches” and then click on the Add new button. 
2. In the window that opens:

- Type the title of you search.

- In Search, select the global filters of interest.

- Optional: check the“ Send me an email when records relevant to this search are added or updated”. 

        3. Click on the Save button.

NOTE: to run and quickly access your saved search, click on the Search icon/button (which you see once you click on "My saved searches”) for the respective saved search .

To EDIT your searches:

1. On the Search page, click on “My saved searches”.
2. Click on the Edit icon/button of the respective search.
3. In the window that opens: edit your selections (title, filters, receipt of e-mail notifications when records relevant to this search are added or updated).
4. Click on the Save button.

NOTE: to stop receiving updates  by e-mail, simply deselect Email me check box. To delete the saved search, click on the Delete icon/button.

TIP: If you have already used the Preferences tab on the Submit page to set up you e-mail notifications, these ‘preferences' will also be displayed in “My saved searches” section on the Search page. Both, the Preferences tab and “My saved searches”, function exactly the same and saved searches, once defined and saved, are shown in both places automatically.

All BCH users with registered BCH accounts may subscribe to receive recent Biosafety Protocol News – a newsletter on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

The purpose of the newsletter is to promote awareness of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and provide a means through which Parties to the Protocol and other stakeholders could share news and information regarding their efforts and experiences.

To subscribe to receiving the BCH newsletter, please go to this link: https://bch.cbd.int/member/subscriptions.shtml 

National Reports can be found:

• On the Search page.

                   --OR--

• On the National Report Analyzer page. On the top navigation bar, click on Search and then on “National Report Analyzer”. The National Report Analyzer tool allows users to perform various analyses of the information contained in the reports. You can open the report from the National Report Analyzer. To do so:
  1. In “National Report” drop down list, select the report of interest.
  2. In “Geographical areas” drop down list, select “Select countries”.
  3. Click on the country(ies) of interest, and then click on the Close button.
  4. Click on the Analyze button. An analysis report will appear.
  5. In the column to the right, click on the country name and then on the country code (for example: click on Belarus and then on BY). The report will open.