Recalling paragraph 3 of Article 18
of the Protocol on the consideration of the need for and modalities
of developing standards with regard to identification, handling,
packaging and transport practices for transboundary movements of
living modified organisms,
Welcoming the outcomes from the
Online Forum on Standards for Shipments of Living Modified
Organisms,
1.Requests the Executive Secretary to:
(a)Continue following developments
in standards related to the handling, transport, packaging and
identification of living modified organisms and to report to the
Parties at their sixth meeting on any such developments. The report
should include information on developments in standard-setting on
the sampling and detection of living modified organisms;
(b)Disseminate the results of the
Online Forum on Standards for Shipments of Living Modified
Organisms, including information about potential gaps in
international standards, to relevant organizations;
(c)Organize regional workshops
for: (i) heads of laboratories involved in the detection of living
modified organisms to exchange information and experience on the
implementation of relevant standards and methods; and (ii) customs
officers requiring capacity in the sampling and detection of living
modified organisms further to paragraph 10 of
decision
BS-III/10 and paragraph 3 of
decision
BS-IV/9;
(d)Commission a study to analyse
information on existing standards, methods and guidance relevant to
the handling, transport, packaging and identification of living
modified organisms and to make the study available for
consideration by the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties
serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. This study
should address in particular:
(i)Possible gaps in existing
standards, guidance and methods;
(ii) Ways to facilitate
cooperation with relevant organisations;
(iii)Guidance on the use of
existing international regulations and standards;
(iv)The possible need for the
elaboration of standards for handling, transport, packaging and
identification of living modified organisms;
2.Invites standard-setting bodies to form an
electronic communications group with the Secretariat of the
Convention on Biological Diversity to exchange information on
activities relevant to the handling, transport, packaging and
identification of living modified organisms being undertaken in
each forum;
3.Invites the International Plant Protection
Convention to collaborate with the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity in the development of an explanatory document
on the terminology of the Protocol in relation to the glossary of
phytosanitary terms adopted by the Commission on Phytosanitary
Measures;
4.Requests Parties and
encourages
other Governments and relevant organizations, as appropriate, to
make available to the Biosafety Clearing-House information on:
(a)Standards relevant to the
handling, transport, packaging and identification of living
modified organisms;
(b)Existing guidance on the use of
relevant international standards;
(c)Methods for the detection and
identification of living modified organisms;
5.Invites Parties to nominate national and
international reference laboratories with the view to establishing,
through the Biosafety-Clearing House, an electronic network of
laboratories to facilitate the identification of living modified
organisms as well as the sharing of information and
experiences.
