The Liaison Group on Capacity-building for Biosafety

The Liaison Group on Capacity-building for Biosafety was established by the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP) in its decision BS-I/5 as one of the elements of the Coordination Mechanism. Essentially, it is an ad-hoc group of experts convened by the Executive Secretary, as need arises, to provide advice on specific capacity-building issues related to the coordination and effective implementation of the capacity-building Action Plan. Its mandate includes, inter alia, providing advice on options for enhancing implementation of the Action Plan; for improving operationalization of the Coordination Mechanism; and for enhancing the effectiveness, adequacy and leverage of financial resources from different sources; as well as advice on possible common capacity-building concepts and approaches.

• The first meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held from 4 to 5 November 2002 in Montreal, Canada. The outcomes of the meeting were used in elaborating operational guidelines for the Coordination Mechanism.

• The second meeting of the Liaison Group met in Montreal from 27 to 28 January 2005. The meeting was attended by 15 participants. The meeting agreed on the following main conclusions and recommendations: Implementation of the Coordination Mechanism, Measures to Enhance the Coordination and Implementation of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol and Terms of reference for the comprehensive review of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.
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• The third meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety met in Tromsø, Norway from 20-21 January 2006. Sixteen (16) participants attended. The meeting reviewed and provided advice on the draft background paper on the progress in, and effectiveness of, the implementation of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol as well as the draft report on the roster of biosafety experts which were prepared by the Executive Secretary for consideration by the third meeting of the COP-MOP. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The fourth meeting of the Liaison Group was held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 1 to 2 March 2007. Eighteen participants attended the meeting. Pursuant to the request contained in decision BS-III/4, the Liaison Group recommended to the COP-MOP draft criteria and minimum requirements for nominating experts to the roster of biosafety experts, elements of a quality control mechanism for the roster and other measures for improving the effectiveness and use of the roster. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The fifth meeting of the Liaison Group was held in New Delhi, India from 14 to 15 February 2008. It was attended by 22 participants from 13 governments and 7 organizations. The Liaison Group made additional recommendations to the COP-MOP regarding measures for further improvement of the roster of experts on biosafety and for further development of the preliminary set of indicators for monitoring implementation of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol that were adopted in decision BS-I/5. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.
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• The sixth meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held 12 to 13 March 2009 in San José, Costa Rica. The meeting was attended by 22 participants from 14 governments and 8 organizations. The meeting recommended an initial draft of possible elements of the capacity-building component of the strategic plan for the Protocol and the new medium-term programme of work for COP-MOP. The meeting also adopted a revised capacity-building needs-assessment questionnaire and process, and also the web-based reporting format for activities contributing to the implementation of the capacity-building Action Plan. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The seventh meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held 4 to 5 February 2010, in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was attended by 21 participants from 15 countries and 4 organizations. The meeting reviewed and proposed a number of revisions to the draft Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2011-2020), the draft framework for the second assessment and review of the Protocol and the draft programme of work on public awareness, education and participation concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The eighth meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held 7 - 8 April 2011, in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. 18 participants from 12 countries and 6 organizations attended the meeting. The Group discussed and provided advice to the Executive Secretary on the organization of the workshop on capacity-building for research and information exchange on socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms and other related activities; and on the second comprehensive review of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.
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• The ninth meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held 15 – 16 March 2012, in Prague, Czech Republic. 21 participants from 13 countries and 7 organizations attended the meeting. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The tenth meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held 7 – 9 April 2014 in Budapest, Hungary. 14 participants from 11 countries and 3 organizations attended the meeting. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The eleventh meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety was held from 14 - 16 March 2016 in Montreal, Canada. 15 participants from 13 countries and 2 organizations participation in the meeting. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting.

• The twelfth meeting of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety took place from 5 - 7 September 2018 in Montreal, Canada. The Group considered the report on the status of implementation of the Framework and Action Plan for Capacity-Building for the Effective Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The Liaison Group also made recommendations concerning the planning for the fourth assessment and review of the Cartagena Protocol and final evaluation of the Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol for the period 2011-2020.The Group furthermore discussed processes leading to the development of the post-2020 frameworks. Click on the following link to access the report of the meeting
  At its ninth meeting, in decision CP-9/7, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, decided to expand the mandate and scope of the Liaison Group on Capacity-Building for Biosafety, include specific expertise on practical experience in implementing the Protocol and on biosafety issues, taking into account geographical representation and diverging views, and rename it Liaison Group on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. More information on the Liaison Group on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is provided here.
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