At its tenth meeting, in decision CP-10/12, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety took note with appreciation of the intersessional work that had been carried out by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Socio-economic Considerations. In paragraphs 3 and 4 of the decision, the COP-MOP set out a process for gathering information in the intersessional period. An overview of information submitted will be provided to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety for consideration at its eleventh meeting, with a view to determining the need for further work.
Paragraph 3 of Decision CP-10/12:
Recognizing that limited time had been available for Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and other stakeholders to make use of the voluntary Guidance*, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, in paragraph 3 of the decision, invited Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and other stakeholders, as appropriate, to use the voluntary Guidance, and submit experiences in the use of the Guidance to the Executive Secretary, as well as examples of methodologies and applications of socioeconomic considerations in the light of the elements of the voluntary Guidance.
Through Notification 2023-133, issued on 11 December 2023, Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and other stakeholders were invited, to submit information on:
(a) experiences in the use of the voluntary Guidance;
(b) examples of methodologies and applications of socio-economic considerations in the light of the elements of the voluntary Guidance.
The Notification and submissions received can be accessed here.
* In decision CP-9/14, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety took note of the Guidance on the Assessment of Socio-Economic Considerations in the Context of Article 26 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, as contained in CBD/CP/MOP/9/10, annex.
Paragraph 4 of Decision CP-10/12:
In decision CP-10/12, paragraph 4, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol also requested the Executive Secretary to contact those Parties that in their fourth national report indicated (a) having specific approaches or requirements that facilitate how socioeconomic considerations should be taken into account in decision-making on living modified organisms or (b) having taken into account socioeconomic considerations arising from the impact of living modified organisms on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and to invite them to share information on their experiences, as relevant to Article 26.
In June 2023, the Acting Executive Secretary wrote to the national focal points of 73 Parties that had responded positively to question 162 of the fourth national report (“Does your country have any specific approaches or requirements that facilitate how socioeconomic considerations should be taken into account in LMO decision-making?”), question 163 (“In the current reporting period, have socioeconomic considerations arising from the impact of LMOs been taken into account in decision-making?”), or had provided relevant additional information in the free text field under question 166. Parties were requested to share information on their approaches and experiences by submitting any relevant information and documentation in this regard including, for example, methodologies applied and reports of socio-economic assessments carried out. The responses received are provided below.
- Austria
- Bangladesh; Add.1, Add.2, Add.3, Add.4 and Add.5
- Belarus
- Bhutan
- Cameroon
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Eswatini
- European Union; 1st reference document and 2nd reference document
- France; CEES Rec. 1, CEES Rec. 2 and CEES Rec.3
- Greece
- Guinea-Bissau
- Hungary
- Italy
- Kenya, Add.1
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Netherlands; Add.1
- Niger; Add.1, Add.2 and Add.3
- Philippines; Add.1
- Rwanda
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- United Arab Emirates
