Metadata Factsheet

3. Goals and Targets addressed

3a. Goal

N/A

3b. Target

Binary indicator for Target 17. Establish, strengthen capacity for, and implement in all countries, biosafety measures as set out in Article 8(g) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and measures for the handling of biotechnology and distribution of its benefits as set out in Article 19 of the Convention.

5. Definitions, concepts and classifications

5a. Definition

2. Biosafety: This concept refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology.

3. Biotechnology: Under the Convention, “biotechnology” means any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use (Convention, Article 2).

4. Living modified organisms: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety defines “living modified organism” as any living organism that possesses a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology.

5. Modern biotechnology: Under the Cartagena Protocol, “modern biotechnology” means the application of in vitro nucleic acid techniques, including recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and direct injection of nucleic acid into cells or organelles, or fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family, that overcome natural physiological reproductive or recombination barriers and that are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection. (Cartagena Protocol, Article 3(i)).

6. Genetic resources: Means genetic material of actual or potential value.

7. Risk assessment: The objective of risk assessment is to identify and evaluate the potential adverse effects of living modified organisms on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the likely potential receiving environment, taking also into account risks to human health.

5b. Method of computation

8. This indicator is a binary indicator and must be compiled from the answers to six questions:

(a) 17.1 Has your country established biosafety-related policy, legal, administrative and other measures as set out in Article 8(g) of the Convention?

(b) 17.2 Does your country implement biosafety measures as set out in Article 8(g) of the Convention?

(c) 17.3 Has your country taken legislative, administrative or policy measures, as appropriate, to provide for the effective participation in biotechnological research activities by those Parties, especially developing countries, that provide the genetic resources for such research as set out in paragraph 1 of Article 19 of the Convention?

(d) 17.4 Has your country taken practicable measures to promote and advance priority access on a fair and equitable basis by Parties, especially developing countries, to the results and benefits arising from biotechnologies based on genetic resources provided by those Parties, as set out in paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the Convention?

(e) 17.5 Does your country carry out scientifically sound risk assessments on the use and release of living modified organisms?

(f) 17.6 Does your country provide access to biosafety-related information for the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms?

9. There are four possible answers to each of these questions:

(a) No

(b) Under development

(c) Partially

(d) Fully

10. A “No” answer implies that:

(a) no biosafety-related legal, policy nor administrative measures in line with Article 8(g) have been established (17.1)

(b) no biosafety measures in line with Article 8(g) are being implemented (17.2)

(c) no measures have been put in place for the effective participation in biotechnology research activities by Parties that provide genetic resources as set out in Article 19 (17.3)

(d) no measures have been taken to promote and advance priority access on a fair and equitable basis to the results and benefits arising from biotechnologies based on genetic resources provided by Parties as set out in Article 19 (17.4)

(e) no risk assessments on the use and release of living modified organisms have been carried out (17.5)

(f) no information on the safe use of living modified organisms is being provided to other Parties (17.6)

11. In all, no progress has been made to draft nor propose policies to implement measures relative to articles 8(g)

12. An “Under development” answer implies a concerted effort at the national level to implement measures such that:

(a) biosafety-related legal, policy or administrative measures in line with Article 8(g) have been proposed and/or drafted but not yet ratified (17.1)

(b) biosafety measures in line with Article 8(g) have been proposed but not yet implemented (17.2)

(c) legislative, administrative or policy measures for the effective participation in biotechnology research activities by Parties that provide genetic resources, as set out in Article 19, have been drafted and/or proposed (17.3)

(d) measures to promote and advance priority access on a fair and equitable basis to the results and benefits arising from biotechnologies based on genetic resources provided by Parties, as set out in Article 19 , have been drafted and/or proposed (17.4)

(e) risk assessments on the use and release of living modified organisms are planned and/or designed but not yet carried out (17.4)

(f) compiling of information on the safe use of living modified organisms for other Parties has been commissioned and/or drafted but is not yet complete (17.6)

13. In all cases, clear national efforts can be seen (e.g. draft bills, new regulation, ...) to progress towards the target but these are not yet in place nor producing results.

14. A “Partially” answer implies that:

(a) there exist biosafety-related legal, policy or administrative measures in line with Article 8(g) but have been partially established (17.1)

(b) biosafety measures in line with Article 8(g) have been partially implemented (17.2)

(c) legislative, administrative or policy measures for the effective participation in biotechnology research activities by Parties that provide genetic resources, as set out in Article 19, have been partially implemented (17.3)

(d) measures to ensure the sharing of benefits from genetic resources of other Parties, as set out in article 19, have been partially implemented (17.4)

(e) risk assessments on the use and release of living modified organisms have been carried out in some cases (17.5)

(f) information on the safe use of living modified organisms for other Parties is available to some extent (17.6)

15. In each case outlined above, the coverage of the measures in place is incomplete.

16. A “Fully” answer implies that all the conditions outlined in “Partially” have been met. Namely that:

(a) biosafety-related legal, policy or administrative measures in line with Article 8(g) are in place (17.1)

(b) biosafety measures in line with Article 8(g) have been implemented (17.2)

(c) legislative, administrative and policy measures for the effective participation in biotechnology research activities by Parties that provide genetic resources, as set out in Article 19, have been implemented (17.3)

(d) measures to ensure the sharing of benefits from genetic resources of other Parties, as set out in article 19, have been (17.4)

(e) risk assessments on the use and release of living modified organisms have been carried out in all cases (17.5)

(f) information on the safe use of living modified organisms for other Parties is available for all living modified organisms (17.6)

No