Consultations: Biosafety Protocol
The Australian Government attaches importance to consultation with industry, community groups and other interested parties on possible effects of international treaties to ensure those views are understood when formulating Australian positions.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is inviting views by April 15 on items on the agenda for the upcoming second meeting of the parties (MOP2, 30 May-3 June, Montreal) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. An annotated agenda and additional information is also available from the Biosafety Protocol website.
Australian concerns remain about how the Protocol will operate in practice (documentation requirements, and the liability and compliance arrangements that are yet to be agreed), uncertainty about how parties will implement the Protocol and whether they will do so in a way which respects all their international obligations. Moreover, the Protocol is not needed for Australia to manage GM imports as there is a robust regulatory framework, the Office of Gene Technology Regulator. Australia thus has no timetable for consideration of accession to the Protocol.
A key objective for the Australian delegation to the meeting will be to advocate pragmatic, low cost options for documentation requirements for international bulk GM commodity trade (primarily GM soyabean, GM canola, GM maize and GM cottonseed). A delegation will also attend the first meeting of the working group on liability and redress under the Protocol being held immediately prior to MOP2 (25-27 May). The delegation will seek to ensure that developments in relation to Article 27 (Liability and Redress) under the Protocol do not go beyond the scope of the Protocol and address fundamental issues such as damage, including damage to biodiversity.
The department welcomes any enquiries, is available to discuss issues of importance related to the Protocol and MOP2, and would be pleased to add you and/or your organisation to its contact list for the Protocol. Please contact us through the contact details below or via the e-mail address biosafety@dfat.gov.au.