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First meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP 1)

23 to 27 February 2004 - Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The First meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol was held from 23 to 27 February 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was attended by 895 participants representing 81 Parties to the Protocol, 79 non-Parties, 8 UN agencies, 12 IGOs, 84 NGOs, 16 academia, 1 indigenous organization, 24 industry organizations and 13 other observer organizations. Delegates adopted a total of 14 decisions covering, inter alia all the substantive issues that were to be addressed by the first meeting of the COP-MOP.

Summary of the outcomes of COP-MOP 1

The gist of the decisions adopted by COP-MOP/1 can be summarized as follows:

Decision procedure (Article 10, para.7):

Adopted procedures and mechanisms to facilitate decision-making by Parties of import. COP-MOP will continue to identify and build upon mechanisms that will further facilitate capacity building including financial assistance or other means to facilitate importing Parties' decision making. The guidelines and procedures state, inter alia, that Parties shall cooperate to ensure that importing Parties have access to the BCH, procedures and mechanisms should be demand-driven by importing Parties; and the roster of experts and the BCH are referred to as main mechanisms to provide support to facilitate decision making.

Second meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP 2)

30 May to 3 June 2005; Montreal, Canada

The second meeting (http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meeting.aspx?mtg=MOP-02) of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety took place from 30 May to 3 June 2005 in Montreal, Canada . It was attended by 647 participants representing101 Parties to the Protocol, 16 non-Parties, 10 UN agencies, 8 IGOs, 64 NGOs, 21 academic institutions, 27 industry organizations and 9 other observer organizations. COP-MOP 2 adopted 14 decisions (http://www.biodiv.org/decisions/default.aspx?m=MOP-02&lg=0).

The main issues addressed included the following: Options for implementing notification requirements under the Protocol; Risk assessment and risk management; Handling, transport, packaging and identification; Socio-economic considerations; and Public awareness and participation.

Summary of the outcomes of COP-MOP 2

The main decisions adopted by COP-MOP 2 can be summarized as follows:

Rules of procedure for meetings of the Compliance Committee (Decision BS-II/1)

COP-MOP 2 approved the rules of procedure for meetings of the Compliance Committee under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. They are annexed to the decision BS-II/1, with the exception of rule 18 regarding voting, which remains bracketed. The rules cover the following aspects, among other things: dates and notice of meetings; agenda; distribution and consideration of information; publication of documents and information; members; officers; participation in Committee proceedings; conduct of business; voting; language; amendments; and overriding authority of the Protocol.

Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 3)

The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 3) held on 13 - 17 March 2006 at the Convention and Exhibition Center (Expo Trade) in Curitiba, Brazil.  It will address the following substantive issues in accordance with the medium term programme of work of the COP-MOP:

•  Handling, transport, packaging and identification (Article 18);

•  Risk assessment and risk management (Articles 15 and 16);

•  Liability and redress (Article 27);

•  Subsidiary bodies (Article 30);

•  Monitoring and reporting (Article 33);

•  Assessment and review of the Protocol (Article 35) and;

•  Other scientific and technical issues that may be necessary for the effective implementation of the Protocol.

The meeting considered also the following standing agenda items: the report of the Compliance Committee, the operation and activities of the Biosafety Clearing-House, the status of capacity-building activities and the roster of experts, matters related to the financial mechanism and resources; cooperation between the Secretariat and other organizations, conventions and initiatives; and the report on the administration and budget of the Protocol.

Some of the main expected outcomes of the COP-MOP 3 meeting include decisions on:

•  the detailed requirements for the identification of living modified organisms intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing envisaged in paragraph 2 (a) of Article 18 of the Protocol.

•  the need for and nature of further guidance on risk assessment.

•  a process for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Protocol, including an assessment of its procedures and annexes.

•  an updated version of the Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Protocol as well as measures to improve effectiveness of the Action Plan and to strengthen the Roster of Experts.

•  further measures to strengthen the operation and use of the Biosafety Clearing-House.

Source: http://www.biodiv.org/