Cooperation

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

Having considered the note by the Executive Secretary on the status and experiences gained so far in promoting cooperation with other organizations, conventions and initiatives (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/3/6 and Corr.1),

1. Takes note of the information provided by the international organizations which responded to the invitation of the Executive Secretary to provide such information pursuant to decision BS-II/6 of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at its second meeting;

2. Commends the Executive Secretary on his recent efforts to strengthen cooperation with other organizations and initiatives, in particular as regards the cooperation with the World Trade Organization and requests the Executive Secretary to intensify efforts to gain the World Trade Organization observer status in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committees;

3. Also requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a) Continue pursuing, reinforcing and intensifying, as the case may be, cooperative arrangements with all the organizations referred to in decision BS-II/6;

(b) Explore the potential of, and endeavour to enhance synergies with, other processes and initiatives that can contribute to the effective implementation of the Protocol, in particular with regard to enhancing capacity-building;

(c) Report to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety at its fourth meeting on the implementation of this decision.