Socio-economic considerations

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

Recalling paragraph 2 of Article 26 of the Biosafety Protocol, which encourages Parties to cooperate on research and information exchange on socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms, especially on indigenous and local communities,

Taking note of the wide range of opportunities available for cooperation on research and information exchange regarding socio-economic impacts of modern biotechnology in general, and that of living modified organisms in particular,

1. Invites Parties and other Governments to continue to cooperate within relevant processes under other organizations and arrangements, such as those referred to in section III of the note by the Executive Secretary on socio-economic considerations: cooperation on research and information exchange (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/2/12), which deal with socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms;

2. Urges Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to provide more emphasis to research on socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms and to allocate resources for that purpose;

3. Invites Parties, other Governments and organizations with research activities related to socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms arising from the impacts of these organisms on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, to share information with other Parties, other Governments, and other stakeholders through the Biosafety Clearing-House, on their research methods and results, both positive and negative;

4. Furtherinvites Parties and other Governments to share, through the Biosafety Clearing-House, their information and experiences in taking into account socio-economic impacts including experiences in implementing the Akwé:Kon Voluntary Guidelines;

5. Requests Parties, other Governments and relevant international organizations to provide to the Executive Secretary not later than six months prior to the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, their views and case-studies, where available, concerning socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms;

6. Requests the Executive Secretary to prepare a synthesis of the views submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 above for consideration by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol, at its fourth meeting.