Dear network participants,

We are pleased to inform you that an Online Forum on Public Education regarding LMOs will take place from 3-21 April 2017 in the BCH at http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_art23/pe_forum.shtml. The public education forum will include online discussions on a series of themes on the “Review of a module on public education regarding LMOs”. The comments will be incorporated into the production of an e-learning module on public education regarding LMOs for the new SCBD E-Learning Platform.

We welcome you to also identify and invite educational institutions, which have experience in facilitating public education regarding LMOs, to participate in the forum.
In the preparations, you are encouraged review the best practices and lessons learned in the resource section for the online forum at http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_art23/pe_resources.shtml and contact the Secretariat to engage in regional partnerships with the partner listed at http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_art23/pe_partners.shtml.

The participants are expected to further facilitate the implementation of the Programme of Work and its priority areas/activities adopted at COP-MOP 8.

We would like also to take this opportunity to invite you to enroll in the two new e-learning modules on access to information and public participation regarding LMOs at https://scbd.unssc.org/ 

Active participants in all the activities may also be selected to upcoming workshops and training courses on public awareness, education and participation, including access to information, regarding LMOs on the priority areas/activities of the Programme of Work.

Best regards,
Ulrika Nilsson

Many thanks to the Secretariat for this online forum on public education regarding LMOs. We hope through this plateform learning about good practices and challenges with regard to
promoting public participation in our continent

Dear Hatem,

Thank you for the acknowledgement.

An online forum on public participation regarding LMOs was held in 2014 at http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_art23/pp_forum.shtml

One of the objectives of the online forum on public participation was, based on decision BS-V/13, paragraph 7, and the operational objective 1.3 of the programme of work, was to develop a toolkit on public participation.

As a result, a module on public participation regarding LMOs was developed and is available in the SCBD E-learning Platform at https://scbd.unssc.org/course/index.php?categoryid=9 . After taking the module, participants can continue to discuss challenges and good practices through a discussion forum in that platform. We encourage participants to enroll and continue to discuss in the forum.

Best,
Ulrika Nilsson
Associate Information Officer
Biosafety Unit
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment Programme
413 St Jacques Street, Suite 800,
Montréal, Québec, Canada H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1-514-287-8720
Email: ulrika.nilsson@cbd.int 
Internet: http://bch.cbd.int/protocol/

Good evening dear Ulrika,
Yes I remembrered this as a former participant of workshops on Article 23. Actually I'm on going to consult  the module on public participation, available in the SCBD E-learning Platform and it seems very intersting. May be at the end of consulting process, I'll continue the discussion.
Regards.

Dear Hatem,

Thank you for enrolling and participating in the module on public participation regarding LMOs.

We look forward to your discussion.

There is also another module on access to biosafety information at https://scbd.unssc.org/course/index.php?categoryid=3

Please let us know if there are any technical issues as the system is new.

Please also note that active participants in all the modules may also be selected to upcoming workshops and training courses on public awareness, education and participation, including access to information, regarding LMOs on the priority areas/activities of the Programme of Work.

Best,
Ulrika