PRRI and ISAAA Prepare for COPMOP8 in Cancun, Mexico

Delegates from Public Research and Regulation Initiative (PRRI) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) held a half day forum on December 3 at the Cancun Convention Center, to prepare for COP13 Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Piet van der Meer of PRRI provided an introduction on the Biodiversity Convention and Biosafety Protocol and the Conference and Meetings of the Parties (COPMOPs), as well as the Topics of COP13, COPMOP8 and COPMOP2.

The forum was participated by 45 delegates composed of scientists, communicators, regulators and students from 16 countries. For the first time, the forum included students from universities in the U.S., Belgium, and Mexico to name a few, to provide an understanding about the COP, its importance, and on how to conduct effective engagement during the MOP.

The Conference of the Parties on its 13^th meeting (COP13) is the highest governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that runs from December 3 to 17. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto gave a message in a plenary declaring his commitment to providing a propitious space and facilitate the development of the work of the countries party to support the fulfillment of the objectives of the CBD, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi goals.

For details about the event, contact knowledge.center@isaaa.org.