Second Meeting of the Parties to the Biosafety Protocol
Australia attended the meeting as a non-party the second meeting of the parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP2) held in Montreal from 30 May to 3 June. It is our assessment that Australian exporters – who produce and export very small quantities of GM crops – should not be affected by the main outcomes of MOP2.
Parties did not reach consensus on the central issue of documentation requirements for shipments of GM grains and oilseeds. A major sticking point – and a critical question for Australian industry – was disagreement over whether the adventitious presence, or small and technically unavoidable quantities, of GM grains or oilseeds in conventional grain and oilseed shipments would trigger documentation requirements. In the absence of a decision at MOP2, the MOP1 decision and text of Article 18 provide guidance for parties to implement their obligations.
MOP2 outcomes on risk assessment and risk management, socio-economic considerations, public participation in the decision-making process and capacity-building were generally uncontroversial. The Australian delegation highlighted throughout the meeting the importance of governments taking responsibility for the effective implementation of the Protocol at the national level.
Australia also attended the first meeting of the working group on liability and redress under the Protocol held immediately prior to MOP2 (25-27 May). All options on proposed elements for a liability and redress regime are still on the table for consideration, although many parties demonstrated a strong appetite to push ahead with a legally binding instrument, including a desire to develop draft text. Australia will be giving consideration to making a national submission on the current options as they emerged from the meeting.
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.
We would welcome your views on the outcomes from both MOP2 and the liability and redress working group and how they might affect you or your organisation. Your comments will be considered in the development of our strategy to support and advance Australian interests at MOP3. Reports of both meetings are available from the Biosafety Protocol website.