UNEPGEF Projects for National Biosafety Frameworks rhus Convention

UNEP-GEF Projects for National Biosafety Frameworks Århus Convention WG on GMOs Geneva, March 2004

UNEP Projects in Biosafety 1. Developm ent Phase FROM initial country status TO a draft NBF ready for approval procedure 2. Implementat ion Phase FROM draft or approved NBF TO an “up and running” framework

UNEP Projects in Biosafety in CEECCA 4 countries have participated in Pilot Phase (Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russian Federation) 22 countries (19 CEE and 3 CCA countries have joined NBF development project; Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine) 2 countries have joined NBF implementation project (Bulgaria, Poland)

Status of ratification of countries in CEECCA Country CP AC SR -- Albania DP Armenia + DP Azerbaijan -++ DP Belarus -+ Bosnia and Herzegovina -++ DP Bulgaria -PP Croatia ++ Czech Republic ++ DP SR ++ DP Macedonia -- ++ DP DP Moldova ++ DP Poland -- No Romania ++ ++ IP DP DP Serbia and MN -Slovakia -+ ++- SR +- Malta SR - + -- + ++ ++ ++ IP ++ Russian Federation ? +- -DP ?

National Biosafety Frameworks Main components: 1. Biosafety Policy 2. Regulatory regime 3. System to handle requests (administrative, risk assessment & management, decision making) 4. Follow up activities (enforcement, monitoring for environmental effects) 5. Public Awareness and Participation

UNEP-GEF Project on Development of National Biosafety Frameworks

Developing a National Biosafety Framework Phase 0 Starting up the Project Phase 1 Gathering information Phase 2 Consultation and analysis Phase 3 Drafting the Framework

UNEP-GEF Project on Development of NBFs In 2003: q Two new toolkit modules* providing guidance to the project Ref. Section A. 6 Phase 0: Starting The Project *Phase 1: Taking stock *Phase 2: Consultation and analysis (with special reference to Arhus Convention) Versions available in English French, Spanish and Russian

Sub-regional workshops • First Series- Slovakia, February 2002. Focus on Biosafety Clearing House and awareness raising • Second Series– Lithuania, May 2003. Focus on Risk Assessment and management, Public Awareness and Participation • Third Series – Turkey, December 2003. Focus on Regulatory Regime and Administrative Systems

Status of NBF in CEECCA Countries in phase 1 of NBF project Albania, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Romania Serbia and Montenegro (not started yet) Countries in Phase 3 of NBF project Armenia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Slovakia, Tajikistan; Estonia and Slovenia (finished) Countries in Phase 2 of NBF project Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine Countries implementing their NBF Bulgaria (UNEP-GEF) Poland (UNEP-GEF)

Country progress reports l Country progress reports (available on website at: www. unep. ch/biosafety), www. unep. ch/biosafety indicating the results of their gap analysis: – Gaps in biosafety policy – Gaps in regulatory regime – Gaps in systems to handle requests – Gaps in monitoring and enforcement – Gaps in public awareness BUT NOT IN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

BCH Capacity Building Project • New UNEP-GEF project started March 2004 to help countries use and access the Biosafety Clearing House • Eligibility is currently open for Parties to CP up until the time of the first COP/MOP. Not open to countries that have a current ‘Implementation project • Eligibility may be extended to Parties to CBD after COP/MOP 1