OTRAS NOTICIAS

The ISBGMO is a unique opportunity for scientists from across the globe to share experiences and engage in open and meaningful dialogue about biosafety.

Participants include scientists involved in biosafety research and policy, including regulatory authorities, technology developers, academics, non-government organizations, and other credible stakeholders.

The discussion at this ISBGMO12 will be focused on a theme: CONSIDERING BIOSAFETY IN THE APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

Under this theme, presentations and posters in the sessions, mini-symposia, and workshops will potentially address such timely topics, as they relate to biosafety:

• New approaches in genetic engineering
• Genetically engineered animals/insects
• Biotechnology and climate change
• Biotechnology and biofuels/energy
• Biotechnology for developing countries
• Transferring data for risk assessment across environments
• Genetically engineered crops and agricultural sustainability
• Post-market monitoring
• Defining protection goals for risk assessment
• Defining the receiving environment
• Understanding environmental fate
• Key discussions under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Effective capacity building for biotechnology regulation
• And others…

The ISBGMO is a bienniel international meeting organized by the International Society for Biosafety Research (ISBR), a society whose membership is composed of individuals with an interest in risk assessment and research related to the environmental risks associated with genetically modified organisms (http://www.isbr.info/).

The ISBGMOs have been offered on a biennial basis since 1990, at various locations throughout the world, including most recently in Argentina (2010), New Zealand (2008), South Korea (2006), France (2004), China(2002), Canada (2000). The 2012 symposium in St. Louis will be the first time it has been offered in the US since it was held in Monterey, CA in 1994.

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, whose mission and goals are closely tied to the theme of ISBGMO12, is the local host for this symposium. The Danforth Center is a not-for-profit research institute, where scientists engage in research that strives to enhance the nutritional content of plants, increase agricultural production to create a sustainable food supply, reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizer, develop new and sustainable biofuels, and generate scientific ideas and technologies that will contribute to the economic growth of the St. Louis region.To further the goals of enhanced nutritional content and increased agricultural production, research is channeled through the Center’s Office of International Programs (OIP). Through partnerships in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the OIP pursues a worldwide collaborative research approach to develop novel varieties that can improve the lives of subsistence farmers in developing countries. (www.danforthcenter.org)

Source: ISBGMO

Source: Biosafety Clearing House (BCH)

In its decision BS-V/3, under section III, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP) endorsed terms of reference for the comprehensive review of the updated Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It also invited Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to submit relevant information, views and suggestions to facilitate the review process. As part of the review process, the Executive Secretary was also requested to commission an independent evaluation of the Action Plan. The overall objective of the review is to improve the Action Plan to ensure that it is relevant and effective in providing a coherent framework for capacity-building efforts under the Protocol taking into account the needs and priorities of Parties and other Governments and cognizant of the new Strategic Plan for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2011-2020).

 The terms of reference provide that the expected outcomes of the review process are: a draft revised Action Plan, a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Action Plan, a revised capacity-building needs assessment framework and a guidance document on strategic approaches to biosafety capacity-building at national and regional levels.

 Furthermore in paragraph 19 of the above decision, the COP-MOP requested the Executive Secretary to organize an online forum to identify strategic approaches to capacity-building and develop a capacity assessment framework and a framework for monitoring and evaluation, and submit the outcomes to the Parties at their sixth meeting.

 Earlier at its fourth meeting, the COP-MOP considered the progress made in operationalizing the Coordination Mechanism for the Implementation of the Action Plan and, in decision BS-IV/3, it requested the Executive Secretary to propose measures to improve the Mechanism for consideration by the sixth meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.

 This Online Forum is organised to contribute to the Action Plan review process and facilitate discussions on strategic approaches to capacity-building for biosafety, with the view to improving the future planning (including needs assessments), implementation, coordination and monitoring of biosafety capacitity-building initiatives. The outcomes of the Forum will be submitted for consideration by the sixth meeting of the COP-MOP during its discussions on the comprehensive review of the capacity-building Action Plan.

 To participate in the Forum, you need to have a BCH user account.

• If you don’t have a BCH account, click here to sign up for one and then go to the group discussion pages to post messages.
• If you already have a BCH account, you can go directly to the discussion pages

 Go to the group discussion pages