Activities and Resources
Integrated implementation project (2017-2018)
Over the 2017-2018 biennium the Secretariat implemented a project, entitled
“Integrated implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress and the Convention on Biological Diversity”. The project was generously supported by the Government of Japan, through the Japan Biodiversity Fund.
The project aimed at supporting Parties in strengthening capacities for mainstreaming biosafety and integrated implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The project built on a
pilot project on integrated implementation carried out over the 2015-2016 biennium and was developed in response to a number of decisions by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety calling for the integration of biosafety into relevant policies, plans and programmes, including national biodiversity strategies and action plans (e.g. decisions BS-V/16, BS-VII/5, XII/29, CP-VIII/3). For example, at its eighth meeting, the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol requested the Executive Secretary to undertake relevant activities in order to enhance the capacity of Parties to promote the integration of biosafety considerations into NBSAPs and national strategies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (decision CP-VIII/15).
The project consisted of activities at the national, regional and global level.
National level activities
Ten Parties to the Cartagena Protocol participated in national level activities, namely Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru, Togo, Venezuela and Viet Nam. These Parties analyzed the extent to which biosafety was integrated into existing national policies, laws and reflected in institutional structures and described processes that led to the successful mainstreaming of biosafety in these instruments or institutions. Parties furthermore identified opportunities for further strengthening the mainstreaming of biosafety in legal and policy instruments and institutions. Recommendations for enhancing mainstreaming efforts were outlined in a national mainstreaming strategy. The draft mainstreaming strategies were presented at national workshop and final versions were presented at national seminars to which a wide variety of sectoral and cross-sectoral stakeholders, as well as decision makers, media and politicians were invited.
Regional level activities
The regional level activities consisted of the organization of three regional workshops, for the Asia and the Pacific region, the Africa region and the GRULAC region, respectively. The national focal points of the Convention and the Protocol of ten countries were invited to each workshop, as well as a legal or policy specialist responsible for the implementation or ratification of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol. The workshops aim at strengthening capacities for mainstreaming biosafety and for the implementation of the Supplementary Protocol.
Asia Sub-regional Workshop - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 6-10 November 2017.
Africa Regional Workshop - Lilongwe, Malawi - 19-23 February 2018
Latin American and Caribbean Regional Workshop - Mexico City, Mexico - 16-20 April 2018.
Global level activities
The global level activities consisted of the expansion of the development of a tool that allows Parties to develop a mainstreaming biosafety strategy. This tool complements the e-learning module and toolkit on biosafety mainstreaming developed in a previous phase of the project. An e-learning module on the Supplementary Protocol has also been developed. These e-learning materials are also available on the
e-learning platform in French and Spanish.
Pilot project on integrated implementation and mainstreaming biosafety (2015-2016)
Over the 2015-2016 biennium, nine Parties participated in a pilot project aimed at strengthening capacities for the integrated implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Convention on Biological Diversity at the national level. The project was funded by the Government of Japan, through the Japan Biodiversity Fund.
Participating Parties analyzed the extent to which biosafety is integrated into existing national policies, laws and reflected in institutional structures and described processes that led to the successful mainstreaming of biosafety in these instruments or institutions. The findings were documented in a national desk study. In their desk studies, Parties also identified challenges, capacity needs, opportunities, good practices and lessons learned to further mainstreaming biosafety. Each draft national desk study was presented at a round-table meeting where participants from different sectors provided input. The final desk study was presented at an awareness-building seminar targeting among others decision-makers and media with a view to securing the necessary political support for biosafety mainstreaming.
The desk studies and a synthesis report of all nine national desk studies are available on this page.
Representatives of the Parties involved in the project shared their experiences at a
global workshop held in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova in October 2016.
Building on the findings at the national level, the Secretariat, in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde, Centre for Environmental Law and Governance, developed an e-learning module and toolkit to facilitate integrated implementation at the national level. These materials are available on the
CBD e-learning platform.
