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This website is designed to guide users through the
area of international treaties, conventions, standards and guidelines
applicable to biotechnology. |
Title: The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology. |
Summary of Provisions:UNEP sees information exchange between states and capacity building of biosafety mechanisms within developing countries as essential in minimising the risks of biotechnology applications. These guidelines encourage states to exchange their knowledge and decisions regarding biosafety, specifically in the area of genetically (or living) modified organisms. Advice is given on risk assessment and management. It is recommended that countries establish Designated National Authorities to oversee biosafety mechanisms and focal points for information exchange. Special guidelines are given on releases of living modified organisms (LMOs) into higher risk areas such as the centre of origin. The guidelines recognise that different environments will respond differently to releases of LMOs (Article 26, http://biosafety.ihe.be/bch/UNEPGuid/UNEP_II.html). Summary of Development:There have been field releases of LMOs since the mid 1980s and a United Nations (UN) Inter-Agency Working Group on Biotechnology Safety was set up in 1985 (http://www.chem.unep.ch/biodiv/bakgd01.html). Several guidelines have since been produced by UN agencies including such as the 1991 UNIDO Code of Conduct for the Release of Organisms into the Environment. The 1992 Agenda 21 and the Convention on Biodiversity both contained sections on biosafety and the decision was made that the development of the UNEP guidelines should be speeded up so that they could serve as an interim measure until a biosafety protocol was agreed. The UNEP Guidelines were adopted in December 1995. The Cartagena Biosafety Protocol was agreed in January 2000, and entered into force in September 2003 and the UNEP guidelines now serve as a complement to it. Current Status:The UNEP International Technical Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology were adopted in December 1995 as an interim measure and future complement to the 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Precursors:Chapter 16 of Agenda 21, adopted in June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and the Convention on Biodiversity. Related Summaries on the Genomics Gateway Site: Convention on Biodiversity Page last updated 10th January 2005. Comments/enquiries to peaceweb'at'bradford.ac.uk
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