Discussion Group 2

To date, there are only a few known documented biosafety capacity needs assessments. Examples include the following:

1) Country self assessments of capacity-building needs and priorities using the common format available through the BCH: http://bch.cbd.int/managementcentre/edit/capacityBuildingNeeds.shtml (See synthesis of the needs in CBD documents: UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/INF/7; UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/3/4);

2) A biosafety needs assessment in sub-saharan Africa (SSA) carried out by ICGEB in 2010, which identified gaps in biosafety knowledge and expertise in the region and made proposals - published in AgBioForum, 14(2): 71-82 (see: http://www.agbioforum.org/v14n2/v14n2a04-ripandelli.htm)

3) An Evaluation of the National Capacity for Risk Assessment and Management of GMOs in Vietnam, by Nizar Mohamed and Le Thi Thu Hien, in Asian Biotechnology Development Review, July 2011 Vol.13 No.2 (http://www.ris.org.in/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=354&Itemid=25)

4) India's Biosafety Training Needs Assessment Survey, carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of India in 2006 (http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/biosafety/Files/TNA%20Abridge%20Version.pdf)

5) An assessment of Grenada’s capacity to implement the Biosafety, carried out in 2003 Protocolhttp://www.ejbiotechnology.info/content/vol7/issue2/issues/2/index.html; and

6) A survey carried out for the FAO in 2003 on the current situation of biotechnology and biosafety issues in countries of the Balkans and the Caucasus; ftp://ftp.fao.org/sd/SDR/SDRR/REUBIOSAFETY4-2.doc)

What other examples of documented biosafety needs assessments are available?  Please provide the web link to the reports or attach the report by clicking the "Reply" button below and then clicking the "Choose file" button at the bottom of this message box.