Medium-term programme of work for the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Biosafety Protocol (from the second to the fifth meetings)

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

1. Decides:

(a) To hold its second and third meetings on an annual basis in order to expedite the process of addressing those issues of the Protocol which it is required to consider and take appropriate decisions at an early stage of implementation. This arrangement may continue beyond the third meeting as necessary if so decided by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety;

(b) To adopt the medium-term programme of work for the period covering from the second to the fifth meetings as annexed to the present decision,

(c) To review, at its subsequent meetings, the medium-term programme of work in light of new developments and achievements in the implementation of the Protocol;

2. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare the draft provisional agenda of subsequent meetings, pursuant to rules 8 and 9 of the rules of procedure, on the basis of issues identified in the medium-term programme of work for the respective meetings, and issues arising from any meeting preceding the current one.

Annex

MEDIUM-TERM PROGRAMME OF WORK OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES SERVING AS THE MEETING OF THE PARTIES TO THE PROTOCOL (FOR THE PERIOD FROM THE SECOND TO THE FIFTH MEETING)

1. The medium-term programme of work will consist of standing and rolling issues.

2. Standing issues will include:

(a) Matters relating to the financial mechanism and resources;

(b) Report from the Secretariat on the administration of the Protocol;

(c) Programme of work and budget for the Secretariat as regards its costs of distinct secretariat services for the Protocol;

(d) Report from, and consideration of recommendations from the Compliance Committee;

(e) Report on the operation of the Biosafety Clearing-House;

(f) Report on the status of capacity-building activities and the use of the roster of biosafety experts;

(g) Cooperation with other organizations, initiatives and conventions.

3. The other issues and derived activities necessary to implement the Protocol should be dealt with on the basis of a specific agenda that would be adopted for each meeting, on the understanding that these rotating issues will be developed and continually dealt with, in accordance with the decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, by the relevant subsidiary bodies, including any eventual working groups established by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties.

4. At its second meeting, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol may consider, inter alia, the following items:

(a) Notification:

(i) To consider options for implementing Article 8 with respect to requirements, by a Party of export, to ensure notification and the accuracy of information contained in notification by the exporter.

(b) Risk assessment and risk management:

(i) To consider clarification of the issues involved;

(ii) To consider the development of guidance and a framework for a common approach in risk assessment and risk management;

(iii) Cooperation in identifying living modified organisms or specific traits that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, and taking appropriate measures regarding the treatment of such living modified organisms or specific traits, (Article 16, paragraph 5);

(c) Handling, transport, packaging and identification:

(i) To consider a decision on the detailed requirements for the identification of living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing, including specification of their identity and any unique identification under paragraph 2(a) of Article 18;

(d) Liability and redress:

(i) To consider the first progress report of the process established for the elaboration of international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress for damage resulting from transboundary movements of living modified organisms;

(e) Socio-economic considerations:

(i) Cooperation on research and information exchange on any socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms, especially on indigenous and local communities (Article 26, paragraph 2);

(f) Public awareness and participation:

(i) To consider options for cooperation, as appropriate, with other States and international bodies, on the promotion and facilitation of 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 (Article 23, paragraph 1(a));

5. The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol may consider, inter alia, the following items:

(a) Handling, transport, packaging and identification;

(i) To consider the need for and modalities of developing standards with regard to identification, handling, packaging and transport practices, in consultation with other relevant international bodies (Article 18, paragraph 3);

(b) Liability and redress:

(i) To consider the progress report of the process established for the elaboration of international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress for damage resulting from transboundary movements of living modified organisms;

(c) Subsidiary bodies:

(i) To consider the need for designating one or the other subsidiary body of the Convention to serve the Protocol and specifying the functions which that body should handle, in accordance with Article 30, paragraph 1, of the Protocol;

(ii) To consider whether there is a need to establish further subsidiary bodies to enhance the implementation of the Protocol.

(d) Monitoring and reporting:

(i) To consider interim national reports *8 by Parties on the implementation of the Protocol.

(e) Assessment and review:

(i) To initiate a process of evaluation of the effectiveness of the Protocol, including an assessment of its procedures and annexes with a view to meet the requirement under Article 35 of the Protocol.

6. At its fourth meeting, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol might wish to consider, inter alia, the following items:

(a) Monitoring and reporting:

(i) To consider the first regular national reports by Parties on the implementation of the Protocol;

(b) Review of the implementation of the Protocol:

(i) To consider and adopt, as required, amendments to the Protocol and its annexes, as well as additional annexes, that are deemed necessary for the implementation of the Protocol (Article 35 and Article 29, paragraph 4(e));

(ii) Review of the decision-making procedures and mechanisms adopted in accordance with paragraph 7 of Article 10;

(iii) Review of the compliance procedures and mechanisms.

7. At its fifth meeting, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol may consider, inter alia, the following items:

(a) Application of the advance informed agreement procedure:

(i) To consider a modality that might enable to identify living modified organisms that are not likely to have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, with a view to arrive at a decision in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 7;

(b) Review of the medium-term programme of work (second to fifth meeting):

(i) To undertake an overall review of the medium-term programme and consider a long-term programme of work.

Notes: