UNEP-GEF Projects for National Biosafety Frameworks

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

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

3. 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) UNEP Projects in Biosafety in CEECCA

4. Country CP AC Country CP AC S R S R S R S R Albania - - ++ DP Macedonia + - - + DP Armenia - - ++ DP Malta -- + + DP Azerbaijan - - - + DP Moldova ++ ++ DP Belarus - + ++ DP Poland ++ ++ IP Bosnia and Herzegovina -- - - No Romania ++ ++ DP Bulgaria ++ ++ IP Russian Federation -- -- PP Croatia ++ + - DP Serbia and MN -- ? DP Czech Republic ++ + - DP Slovakia + - ? DP Estonia + - ++ DP Slovenia ++ + - DP Georgia - - ++ DP Tajikistan -+ - + DP Hungary ++ ++ PP Turkey ++ -- DP Kazakhstan - - ++ DP Turkmenistan - - - + No Kyrgyzstan - - - + DP Ukraine - + ++ DP Latvia - + ++ DP Uzbekistan - - - - No Lithuania ++ ++ DP Status of ratification of countries in CEECCA

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

6. UNEP-GEF Project on Development of National Biosafety Frameworks

7. Developing a National Biosafety Framework Phase 0 Starting up the Project Phase1 Gathering information Phase 2 Consultation and analysis Phase 3 Drafting the Framework

8. In 2003: Two new toolkit modules* providing guidance to the project UNEP-GEF Project on Development of NBFs 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 Ref. Section A.6

9. 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

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

11. Country progress reports (available on website at: 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 Country progress reports

12. 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/MOP1