In decision CP-11/7, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety welcomed the additional voluntary guidance materials to support case-by-case risk assessment of living modified organisms containing engineered gene drives (CBD/CP/MOP/11/9). Parties, other Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth organizations and relevant organizations and stakeholders were invited to make use of the additional voluntary guidance materials in conducting relevant risk assessments and as a tool for capacity-building activities in risk assessment. Further, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol also invited those that have used the additional voluntary guidance materials to submit information on their experiences and on assessment of the applicability and usefulness of the materials.

In response to this request, Parties, other Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth organizations and relevant stakeholders that have used the additional voluntary guidance materials  are invited to submit information on their experiences and assessment of the applicability and usefulness of the materials using the template provided at: https://bch.cbd.int/protocol/risk_assessment/template_submit_info_cp11_7_para5.docx. Only submissions using the template will be considered.

Submissions of information should be endorsed by the National Focal Point for the Cartagena Protocol or the head of organization, as appropriate, and be on official letterhead. Submissions should then be made through the Biosafety Clearing-House using the Submission (SUB) common format accessible at the following page: https://bch.cbd.int/en/register/SUB/new. Full instructions on how to upload submissions are provided here. 

Submissions should be received no later than 22 May 2026.

For more information, visit the dedicated page for this notification here: https://www.cbd.int/notifications/2026-038