Public awareness and participation

The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,

Recalling Article 23 of the Protocol on public awareness and participation,

Emphasizing the importance of public awareness, education and participation in promoting transparency, public confidence and broad-based support for the effective implementation of the Protocol,

Underlining the importance of making the information concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms available to different stakeholders in comprehensible formats and adapting awareness materials to local languages and situations,

Emphasizing the need for cooperative efforts to promote education and public awareness to increase the knowledge and understanding concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms,

1. Takes note of the options for facilitating cooperation of Parties with other States and relevant international bodies in the promotion of public awareness, education and participation concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms contained in the note by the Executive Secretary on options for cooperation of Parties with other States and international bodies on the promotion and facilitation of public awareness, education and participation concerning living modified organisms (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/13) prepared for the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol;

2. Encourages Parties and other States, as part of their efforts in implementing Article 23, paragraph 1 (a), to seek and leverage opportunities for cooperation with other Parties, other States and relevant international bodies at subregional, regional and international levels, taking into account the options referred to in paragraph 1 above;

3. Urges Parties and other States to develop and implement national programmes for public awareness, education and participation, including public access to information, concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms;

4. Invites the Global Environment Facility, donors, other funding institutions and relevant international bodies to provide financial and other support to developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, as well as Parties with economies in transition for the public awareness, education and participation projects and activities concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms;

5. Further invites Parties, other States, and relevant international bodies to share, through the Biosafety Information Resource Centre in the Biosafety Clearing-House, information, awareness materials and case-studies about their ongoing initiatives on public awareness, education and participation, including major accomplishments, success stories, best practices and lessons learned as well as limitations experienced;

6. Encourages Parties and other States to make effective use of the media to promote public awareness and education concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms;

7. Urges Parties, other Government and relevant international bodies to develop and support subregional and regional public awareness and education initiatives concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms, including through educational systems and regional centres;

8. Reminds Parties and other States to submit to the Biosafety Clearing-House information regarding their capacity needs, gaps, programmes and priorities with respect to public awareness, education and participation;

9. Encourages Parties, other States and relevant international bodies to make effective use of the tools and mechanisms established under the Global Initiative on Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) under the Convention on Biological Diversity;

10. Invites Parties, other States and relevant international bodies to include in their programmes for implementing the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development specific activities related to promoting public awareness, education and participation concerning the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms in relation to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking into account also risks to human health;

11. Invites Parties, other States and concerned relevant international bodies to explore and maximize opportunities for cooperation in the promotion of public awareness, education and participation concerning living modified organisms through the frameworks provided by related national and international instruments, in particular the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters;

12. Requests the Executive Secretary to continue promoting public awareness and education on the Protocol, including through the Protocol website, the outreach strategy for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/1/INF/16) as well as publications such as a handbook reflecting developments in the Protocol process;

13. Decides to consider, and review progress on the implementation of Article 23, paragraph 1 (a), of the Protocol at its fifth meeting;

14. Further requests the Executive Secretary to prepare, on the basis of the submissions made in accordance with paragraph 5 above, a synthesis report on the status of implementation of Article 23, paragraph 1 (a), of the Protocol for consideration by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol at its fifth meeting.