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Implementation Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Decision CP-10/3, Annex)

I. PURPOSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

  1. The Implementation Plan has been developed as a framework of broad desirable achievements and accomplishments to help guide Parties in their implementation of the Protocol and measure progress in this regard for the period up to 2030.
  2. The Implementation Plan is complemented by the Capacity-building Action Plan with the purpose of facilitating the development and strengthening of the capacities of Parties to implement the Protocol, including by facilitating the engagement of partners, including donors and by promoting regional and international cooperation and coordination. The Capacity-building Action Plan covers the same period as the Implementation Plan, up to 2030.
  3. The Implementation Plan is directed primarily at Parties. Nonetheless, it is recognized that non-Parties and stakeholders from different sectors, organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities and donors can support the implementation of the Protocol.

    II. LINKAGE WITH THE POST-2020 GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK AND THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

  4. The Implementation Plan is anchored in and complementary to the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, as its goals, objectives and outcomes contribute to achieving the framework’s 2050 vision — “By 2050, biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people” — and its mission — “To take urgent action across society to put biodiversity on a path to recovery for the benefit of planet and people”. The Implementation Plan is intended to facilitate the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol and is addressed to Parties to the Cartagena Protocol. The Implementation Plan can also support and guide Parties in meeting goals and targets relevant to biosafety within the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
  5. The Implementation Plan can also help to support Parties to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including for example Goals 2 (to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and provide sustainable agriculture) and 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).

    III. STRUCTURE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

  6. In the appendix, a tabular overview of the goals, objectives, indicators and outcomes of the Implementation Plan is presented.
  7. The Implementation Plan outlines goals, representing broad desirable achievements by Parties. The goals of the Implementation Plan are organized according to “areas of implementation” and “enabling environment”. The “areas of implementation” consist of goals concerning key elements for the implementation of the Protocol. The “enabling environment” comprises cross-cutting goals related to providing support for implementation, i.e. capacity-building, resource mobilization, cooperation, and public awareness, education and participation. The goals under the “enabling environment” represent cross-cutting achievements that benefit a variety of implementation-related goals and can be read in conjunction with the goals related to “areas for implementation”. Each goal includes corresponding objectives, outcomes and indicators.
  8. The objectives describe key accomplishments to achieve the goal to which they relate. The objectives are not intended to provide an exhaustive list of accomplishments that may be relevant for the goal. The objectives follow the provisions in the Protocol, including both obligations and other provisions, and guidance provided through decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. Most goals include multiple objectives.
  9. The indicators are designed to measure progress towards the objectives. The indicators are intended to be simple, measurable and relevant to the associated objective.
  10. The outcomes describe what the effect will be of achieving the goal.
  11. The Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress was adopted by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in 2010 (decision BS-V/11). The Strategic Plan for the Protocol, also adopted in 2010, included elements on liability and redress and the Supplementary Protocol. The Supplementary Protocol entered into force on 5 March 2018.
  12. A component on the Supplementary Protocol has been included in the Appendix below. The inclusion of a component on the Supplementary Protocol is intended to support the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol and to contribute to the effective implementation of the Supplementary Protocol, while recognizing that they are separate legal instruments and that obligations arising from these instruments only bind the Parties to the respective instrument.

    IV. EVALUATION AND REVIEW

  13. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol shall undertake a midterm evaluation and may decide to undertake a final evaluation of the Implementation Plan. These evaluations may draw on information provided by Parties in their national reports and information in the Biosafety Clearing-House, among others. This information may be used to assess the extent to which the objectives of the Implementation Plan are being accomplished.
  14. The results of the fourth assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Cartagena Protocol and final evaluation of the Strategic Plan of the Cartagena Protocol will be used to establish a baseline for measuring progress in achieving the goals of the Implementation Plan.

    V. PRIORITIES AND PROGRAMMING

  15. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol may periodically set priorities to plan for and programme work to be undertaken within the time period of the Implementation Plan. This could include identifying milestones that lead to the achievement of the goals of the Implementation Plan.
  16. In deciding on priorities and programming, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol may wish to take into consideration developments and advancements in the field of biosafety and biotechnology. In this regard, the Implementation Plan has taken the approach that, where organisms developed through new technologies constitute “living modified organisms” as defined in the Protocol, these organisms are addressed in the Plan.

    VI. RESOURCES

  17. The successful implementation of the Protocol depends to a large extent on having access to adequate human, technical and financial resources and effective cooperation, in accordance with Articles 22 and 28 of the Protocol. The Implementation Plan aims at supporting Parties in this regard, including in particular under the goals related to creating an enabling environment.

    VII. ROLE OF THE SECRETARIAT

  18. While the Implementation Plan is directed primarily at Parties, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity will support the Parties in their efforts to implement the Protocol, following the guidance of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol and in accordance with Article 31 of the Cartagena Protocol and Article 24 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This support includes managing and maintaining the Biosafety Clearing-House as well as undertaking activities, including capacity-building activities, as requested by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.

Implementation Plan

Goals

Objectives

Indicators

Outcomes

(Desirable achievements)

(What must be accomplished to achieve the goal)

(Measuring progress towards objectives)

(The effect of achieving the goal)

A.  Areas for implementation

A.1. Parties have in place functional national biosafety frameworks

A.1.1. Parties have adopted and implemented legal, administrative and other measures to fulfil their obligations under the Protocol;

A.1.2. Parties have designated competent national authorities and national focal points for the Protocol and emergency measures (Art. 17) contact point;

A.1.3. Competent national authorities have adequately trained staff to carry out their tasks.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have measures in place to implement the provisions of the Protocol;

(b) Percentage of Parties that have designated a national focal point, competent national authorities for the Protocol and an emergency measures (Art. 17) contact point and have notified the Secretariat accordingly;

(c) Percentage of Parties that have qualified staff to operationalize their national biosafety frameworks.

Functional national biosafety frameworks enable competent authorities, national focal points and Article 17 contact points of all Parties to effectively and efficiently fulfil their obligations under the Protocol 

A.2. Parties have improved the availability and exchange of relevant information through the BCH

A.2.1. Parties provide accurate and complete mandatory information in the BCH in accordance with their obligations under the Protocol;

A.2.2. Parties publish any non-mandatory biosafety-related information through the BCH.

(a) Percentage of Parties making mandatory information available to the BCH;

(b) Percentage of Parties that publish any non-mandatory biosafety-related information through the BCH;

(c) Number of active users of and visits to the BCH;

(d) Percentage of decisions in the BCH with associated reports on risk assessment.

BCH facilitates the availability and exchange of biosafety-related information and enables Parties to take informed decisions

A.3. Full information on the implementation of the Protocol is made available by Parties in a timely manner

A.3.1. Parties submit complete national reports within the established deadline.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have submitted a complete national report within the established deadline;

(b) Percentage of eligible Parties that have accessed GEF funding for the preparation of their national report in a timely manner.

Accurate and timely information on the implementation of the Protocol enables the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to set priorities and identify where support is needed

A.4. Parties are in compliance with the requirements of the Protocol

A.4.1. Parties comply with their obligations under the Protocol;

A.4.2. Parties resolve issues of non-compliance identified by the Compliance Committee.

(a) Percentage of Parties that comply with their obligations under the Protocol;

(b) Percentage of Parties that have resolved non-compliance issues identified by the Compliance Committee.

Effective compliance mechanism facilitates implementation of the Protocol

A.5. Parties carry out scientifically sound risk assessments of LMOs, and manage and control identified risks to prevent adverse effects of LMOs on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health

A.5.1. Parties apply scientifically sound and appropriate procedures for risk assessment and risk management of LMOs, in accordance with Annex III of the Protocol;

A.5.2. Parties develop (as necessary), have access to and use appropriate resource materials for carrying out scientifically sound risk assessment and risk management.

(a) Percentage of Parties that undertake risk assessment for decision-making on LMOs, where required under the Protocol;

(b) Percentage of Parties that have access to and use relevant risk assessment and risk management resource materials;

(c) Percentage of Parties carrying out risk assessments, considering other available scientific evidence, referred to in Article 15;

(d) Percentage of Parties that have measures in place to identify LMOs or specific traits that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and adopt risk mitigation measures.

Parties identify, assess and appropriately manage and control risks of LMOs to biodiversity, taking also into account risks to human health 

A.6. Parties prevent and address illegal and unintentional transboundary movements of LMOs

A.6.1. Parties have adopted appropriate measures to prevent and address illegal and unintentional transboundary movements of LMOs.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have measures in place to prevent and address illegal and unintentional transboundary movements of LMOs.

Illegal and unintentional transboundary movements of LMOs prevented or minimized

A.7. Parties have measures in place to fulfil the handling, transport, packaging and identification requirements of LMOs under Article 18 of the Protocol

A.7.1. Parties have adopted the necessary measures to require that LMOs subject to transboundary movement are handled, packaged and transported under conditions of safety, taking into consideration relevant international rules and standards, as appropriate;

A.7.2. Parties have measures in place to fulfil the documentation requirements for LMOs intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing, LMOs destined for contained use, LMOs for intentional introduction into the environment, and other LMOs.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have taken necessary measures to require that LMOs subject to transboundary movement are handled, packaged and transported under conditions of safety, taking into consideration relevant international rules and standards, as appropriate;

(b) Percentage of Parties that have put in place documentation requirements for LMOs intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing;

(c) Percentage of Parties that have put in place documentation requirements for LMOs destined for contained use;

(d) Percentage of Parties that have put in place documentation requirements for LMOs for intentional introduction into the environment and other LMOs.

Through appropriate handling, transport, packaging and identification of LMOs, Parties are able to safely manage intentional transboundary movements of LMOs

A.8. Parties are able to detect and identify LMOs

A.8.1. Parties have access to the necessary technical infrastructure and expertise for the detection and identification of LMOs;

A.8.2. Parties have access to and use appropriate resource materials for the detection and identification of LMOs;

A.8.3. Parties have access to and use the necessary information to detect and identify LMOs, including detection methods and certified reference materials.

(a) Percentage of LMOs on the BCH for which detection methods are available;

(b) Percentage of Parties that have access to and use resource materials and detection methods to detect and identify LMOs;

(c) Percentage of Parties that have access to and use certified reference materials necessary to detect and identify LMOs;

(d) Percentage of Parties that have access to the technical infrastructure needed to detect and identify LMOs.

By detecting and identifying LMOs, Parties are able to respond to unintentional and illegal transboundary movements and to implement the handling, transport, packaging and identification requirements in accordance with the Protocol

A.9. Parties that choose to do so, take into account socioeconomic considerations when making decisions on the import of LMOs and cooperate on research and information exchange in accordance with Article 26 of the Protocol

A.9.1. Parties that choose to do so, take socioeconomic considerations into account in decision-making in accordance with Article 26;

A.9.2. Parties that choose to take into account socioeconomic considerations in accordance with Article 26 have access to and are able to use resource materials;

A.9.3. Parties that choose to do so, cooperate on research and information exchange on any socio-economic impacts of living modified organisms on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, especially on indigenous peoples and local communities, in accordance with Article 26 of the Protocol. 

(a) Percentage of Parties that take into account socioeconomic considerations in decision-making in accordance with Article 26 of the Protocol;

(b) Percentage of Parties that access and use resource materials for taking socio-economic considerations into account;

(c) Percentage of Parties that cooperate on research and information exchange on any socio-economic impacts of LMOs on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, especially on indigenous peoples and local communities, in accordance with Article 26 of the Protocol.

 

Parties that choose to do so, take into account socio-economic considerations in decision-making on imports of LMOs and cooperate on research and information exchange in accordance with Article 26

A.10. Parties to the Cartagena Protocol become Parties to the Nagoya –­ Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress and have in place measures to fulfil their obligations under the Supplementary Protocol

A.10.1. Increased number of Parties to the Supplementary Protocol;

A.10.2. Parties to the Supplementary Protocol have adopted and implemented appropriate measures to give effect to the provisions of the Supplementary Protocol;

A.10.3 Parties to the Supplementary Protocol report on the implementation of the Supplementary Protocol.

(a) Percentage of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol that have become Parties to the Supplementary Protocol;

(b) Percentage of Parties to the Supplementary Protocol that have the necessary measures in place to implement the provisions of the Supplementary Protocol;

(c) Percentage of Parties to the Supplementary Protocol reporting on the implementation of the Supplementary Protocol.

Increased number of ratifications of the Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress advances the development of national rules and procedures on liability and redress for damage resulting from LMOs originating in a transboundary movement

Goals

Objectives

Indicators

Outcomes

(Desirable achievements)

(What must be accomplished to achieve the goal)

(Measuring progress towards objectives)

(The effect of achieving the goal)

B.         Enabling environment

B.1. Parties engage in capacity-building activities

B.1.1. Parties have identified and prioritized their capacity-building needs

B.1.2. Parties undertake capacity-building activities, as set out in the Capacity-Building Action Plan

B.1.3. Parties use capacity-building materials, including online resources;

B.1.4. Parties cooperate to strengthen capacities for the implementation of the Protocol.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have identified and prioritized their capacity-building needs;

(b) Percentage of Parties undertaking capacity-building activities;

(c) Percentage of Parties with capacity-building needs that use capacity-building materials, including online resources;

(d) Percentage of Parties that cooperate to strengthen capacities for the implementation of the Protocol.

Parties have the necessary capacity for the implementation of the Protocol

B.2. Parties mobilize adequate resources from all sources to support implementation of the Protocol in accordance with Article 28 of the Protocol

B.2.1. Adequate resources are allocated to biosafety through national budgets;

B.2.2. Parties allocate a share of national biodiversity STAR allocations to biosafety activities;

B.2.3. Parties mobilize resources from other sources.

(a) Percentage of Parties that have adequate resources for biosafety from national budgets;

(b) Percentage of eligible Parties that use national STAR allocations for biosafety activities;

(c) Percentage of Parties having accessed additional resources.

Full implementation of the Protocol is enabled by adequate resources

B.3. Parties promote and facilitate public awareness, education and participation on the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs, in accordance with Article 23 of the Protocol

B.3.1. Parties have developed mechanisms to promote and facilitate public awareness, education and participation in biosafety;

B.3.2. Parties have access to resource materials for promoting and facilitating public awareness, education and participation in biosafety;

B.3.3. Parties consult the public in making decisions on LMOs, in accordance with their respective laws and regulations, and make the results of decisions available to the public;

B.3.4. Parties inform the public about the means of public access to the BCH.

(a) Percentage of Parties accessing resource materials for facilitating and promoting public awareness, education and participation in biosafety;

(b) Percentage of Parties mainstreaming biosafety in relevant educational and training programmes;

(c) Percentage of Parties having in place a mechanism facilitating and promoting public participation in decision-making regarding LMOs;

(d) Percentage of Parties informing the public about means for participation in decision-making;

(e) Percentage of Parties having consulted the public in the decision-making process in accordance with their respective laws and regulations;

(f) Percentage of Parties making the results of decisions available to the public;

(g) Percentage of Parties that have informed the public about the means of public access to the BCH.

Through public awareness, education and participation, Parties ensure that the public is appropriately informed about the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs and involved in decision-making on the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs

B.4. Parties enhance cooperation and coordination on biosafety issues at the national, regional and international levels

B.4.1. Parties cooperate to support implementation of the Protocol, including through the exchange of scientific, technical and institutional knowledge;

B.4.2. Parties have put in place effective mechanisms to involve indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant stakeholders from different sectors in the implementation of the Protocol;

B.4.3. Parties facilitate sectoral and cross-sectoral coordination and cooperation at the national level to mainstream biosafety.

(a) Percentage of Parties cooperating in exchanging scientific, technical and institutional knowledge;

(b) Percentage of Parties engaging in bilateral, regional or multilateral activities for the implementation of the Protocol;

(c) Percentage of Parties that have mechanisms for involving indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant stakeholders from different sectors in the implementation of the Protocol;

(d) Percentage of Parties that have integrated biosafety in national sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies, action plans, programmes, policies or legislation.

Through cooperation at the national, regional and international levels, and participation of stakeholders, Parties’ implementation of the Protocol is more effective

   
   
Update on 2023-01-31
United Nations