Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety - Correspondence with Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
22 September 2003
Ref.: SCBD/BS/CS/jh
Hamdallah Zedan
Executive Secretary
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
United Nations Environment
Programme
Dear Mr Zedan
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SUBMISSIONS
I am writing in response to your request for information arising from the third meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
I am pleased to attach Australian national submissions on the following issues for forwarding to the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (COP-MOP-1):
- Liability and redress
- Compliance
- Information sharing
- Preliminary indicators for monitoring implementation of the Action Plan
- Article 18.2(a)
- Monitoring and reporting
- Medium term work plan
I would like to take the opportunity to register Australia’s view that the outcomes on these important issues on the agenda for COP-MOP-1 in Kuala Lumpur from 23 –27 February must be workable and take due account of the realities of international commodity trade.
COP-MOP-1 should focus on addressing those issues for which decisions are required by the meeting rather than developing an ambitious work plan, ie a review of the Protocol’s core operational elements, such as the Biosafety Clearing House and capacity building; and those issues for which a decision is required under the Protocol. These issues should be prioritised according to the timeframes set out in the Protocol, such as detailed documentation requirements (Article 18.2(a)) and liability and redress (Article 27).
Yours sincerely
Christopher Langman
Ambassador for the Environment