BS-IV/16. Socio-economic considerations (Article 26, paragraph 2)

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

Recalling Article 26 of the Protocol, in particular paragraph 2,

> Recognizing the divergent views and the complexity of the issue of socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms as observed through the submissions received and synthesized by the Secretariat in accordance with the request made under decision BS-II/12,

1. Notes the importance of cooperation and the need for further study and research in the area of socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms, especially on indigenous and local communities;

2. Notes also the related discussions under the Convention on Biological Diversity;

3. Further notes the recommendations on capacity-building and socio-economic considerations from the fourth coordination meeting of Governments and organizations implementing and/or funding capacity-building activities (UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/INF/23, paras. 35-37) and invites the next coordination meeting to further consider possibilities for cooperation in identifying needs for capacity-building among Parties for research and information exchange on socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms and to submit any recommendation for consideration by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol at its fifth meeting;

4. Invites Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to continue to share their research, research method and experience in taking into account socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms, through the Biosafety Clearing-House, where it could be retrievable using the search term "socio-economic";

5. Agrees to review this item at its sixth meeting based on information that may be provided through the second national reports.