Governments Agree on Decisions Regarding Safe Use of LMOs

Governments participating in the United Nations meeting on safe use of living modified organisms (LMOs) have agreed on several actions to move forward the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity as a tool for the safe transfer, handling, and use of LMOs. One of the highlights in the meeting was a decision inviting governments and other stakeholders to use the Guidance on Risk Assessment of Living Modified Organisms in actual cases of risk assessment and as a tool for capacity-building activities in risk assessment. It was also agreed that an improved version of the Guidance will be available in the 8th meeting of the Parties in 2016.

It was also agreed that the Parties will continue to identify LMOs intended for direct use (food or feed) or for processing that are subject for transboundary movement, by incorporating the information identified in decision BS-III/10 into existing documentation accompanying LMOs.

Socioeconomic considerations were also discussed and it was decided that an expert group will be formed to further develop clarity this issue and come up with proper guidelines on the subject.

Read the press release at http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2014/pr-2014-10-03-bscopmop7-en.pdf.