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Earth Negotiations
Bulletin -
ENB |
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Fourth Meeting
of the Conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the
Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
12-16
May 2008| Bonn,
Germany
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Highlights
for Monday, 12 May 2008
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The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) serving as the
Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
(COP/MOP 4) opened in Bonn, Germany
on Monday, 12 May. In the morning plenary, delegates heard
opening statements and reports on the compliance committee,
the financial mechanism, the budget and liability and redress.
In the afternoon delegates convened in two working groups (WGs).
WG I considered the compliance committee, handling, transport,
packaging and identification (HTPI) of living modified
organisms (LMO), and socio economic concerns. WG II addressed
the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH), capacity building, and the
Biosafety Roster of Experts. A contact group on
liability and redress met at lunchtime and in the evening.
Above photo: View of the opening plenary, presided by
Ambassador Raymundo Santos Rocha Magno on behalf of
Minister
Marina Silva, Ministry of Environment, Brazil
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OPENING PLENARY:
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Raymundo
Santos Rocha Magno, on
behalf of Marina Silva,
Brazil’s minister of the environment, welcomed delegates and
underscored COP/MOP 4 as an opportunity for reaching
agreement on the rules and procedures for liability and
redress. |
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| Ursula
Heinen, Parliamentary State Secretary, German
Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer
Protection, highlighted threats to agro biodiversity,
and described the Protocol as historic step towards
the sustainable use of modern biotechnology. |
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| Speaking
on behalf of UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, Maryam
Niamir-Fuller (UNEP) detailed technical and financial
assistance provided by UNEP to developing countries to
implement biosafety frameworks, and outlined GEF funding
available under its biosafety programme. |
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| Ahmed
Djoghlaf, CBD Executive Secretary, highlighted the
progress made by the Friends of the Chair group on liability
and redress which preceded COP/MOP4. He urged parties to
focus on reaching agreement on this agenda item by Friday. |
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| Joachim
Flasbarth, German Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, stated that
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a political priority
because of their wide use.
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| Alexander
Schink,
State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Conservation,
Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the German State of
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), described NRW’s policies on
protected areas and for reducing the impact of economic
development.
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| Veit
Koester, Denmark presented the compliance committee
report. |
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| Jimena
Nieto, Co-Chair of the Ad hoc
Open-ended Working Group on Liability and Redress
presented the Working Group’s final report. |
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| Jaime
Cavelier, Global Environment Facility (GEF),
reported on the implementation of the strategy to
support activities for building capacities for the
effective implementation of the Protocol. |
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WORKING
GROUP I
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COMPLIANCE:
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| Above
photo: WG I Chair
Beate Berglund Ekeberg (
Norway
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Cameroon,
for the AFRICAN GROUP, called for a substantial increase
in GEF funding.
Above photo: Mary Fosi Mbantenkhu (Cameroon) |
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HTPI:
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| Pointing
to work of other international fora, the EU,
COLOMBIA
, BRAZIL
and
NEW ZEALAND
opposed the establishment of an AHTEG. Above photo
L-R: Carolyn Hini and Warren
Waetford (New Zealand)
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GLOBAL INDUSTRY COALITION preferred using existing
documentation, cautioning that separate
documentation would be costly and cause delays.
Above photo: Esmeralda Prat (Global Industry
Coalition) |
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WORKING GROUP
II
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CAPACITY
BUILDING:
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Uganda
, on behalf of the AFRICAN GROUP, called for the
integration of biosafety into broader sustainable
development strategies and donor programmes.
Above photo: David Hafashimana (Uganda) |
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| Above
photo: WG II Chair
Reynaldo Alvarez Morales (Mexico) |
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| CONTACT GROUP |
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LIABILITY AND REDRESS: |
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Delegates
agreed to start their deliberations with the choice of
instrument, noting that this is the most controversial issue
that will also inform choices in other substantive sections.
Above photos: Contact Group on Liability and Redress met at
lunchtime and into the evening. |
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Related Links
CBD
Secretariat
Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety Web page
CBD
COP/MOP4 official website
COP/MOP4
Meeting Documents
Summary
of major issues
International
Day for Biological Diversity
Global
Biodiversity Outlook
Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment
Countdown
2010 initiative
Links to IISD RS Resources
IISD
RS coverage of the CBD COP-9, 19-30 May 2008, Bonn, Germany
IISD
RS coverage of the CBD
COP-8, 20-31 March 2006, Curitiba, Brazil
IISD
RS coverage of the Third
Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD serving as
the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
(COP/MOP-3), 13-17 March 2006, Curitiba, Brazil
IISD
RS coverage of the COP/MOP-2,
30 May - 3 June 2005, Montréal, Canada
IISD
RS coverage of the COP/MOP-1,
23-27 February 2004, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
IISD
RS coverage of the Fifth
meeting of the AHOE-WG of Legal and Technical Experts on Liability and
Redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 12-19
March 2008, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
IISD
RS coverage of the Fourth
meeting of the AHOE-WG of Legal and Technical Experts on Liability and
Redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
22-26 October 2007, Montréal, Canada
IISD
RS summary report of the Third meeting of the AHOE-WG of Legal and
Technical Experts on Liability and Redress in the context of the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 19-23 February 2007, Montréal,
Canada (HTML
- PDF)
IISD
RS coverage of the Second
meeting of the AHOE-WG of Legal and Technical Experts on Liability and
Redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
20-24 February 2006, Montréal, Canada
IISD
RS coverage of the First
meeting of the AHOE-WG of Legal and Technical Experts on Liability and
Redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
25-27 May 2005, Montréal, Canada
IISD
RS biodiversity and wildlife page
Biodiv-l
- A mailing list for news on biodiversity and wildlife policy
Linkages
Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable
development news
MEA
Bulletin - Newsletter on key MEAs and their secretariats
African
Regional Coverage
Linkages
Africa - Fortnightly newsletter reporting on sustainable
development events in Africa
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