Good practices and challenges

in Implementing Article 23 and

the Programme of Work

Global Round Table regarding Living Modified Organisms/Genetically Modified Organisms (LMOs/GMOs)

15 - 17 November 2016Salle V, Palais des Nations Geneva, Switzerland.

Frameworks - Programme element 1 of the Programme of Work: Capacity-building

Informationcollected from

different sectors to identify priorities and

scope

Surveys conducted to review the current

implementation of the Cartagena Protocol,

NCCB integrating a Proposal of Law on

Biosafety resulting from modern biotechnology

that combines the social and cultural interest

Protects Guatemala from potential risks associated with unregulated release

of GMOs into the environment

Twenty-five workshops on the

Cartagena Protocol and key components of National Biosafety

Framework June 2003 - July 2004

Workshop Participants: government officials,

NGOs, consumer organizations, indigenous

organizations, the academia, the private

sector and NCCB members

Educational materials and discussions

Development of the National Biosafety Framework in Guatemala -Developed under the UNEP-GEF Biosafety ProjectProject Duration: November 2002 / August 2004Results and Achievements

Institutional Capacity - Programme element 1 of Programme of Work: Capacity-building

Guatemala ratified the Protocol - 28 October 2004Developed institutional mechanisms by designating

focal points

National Counsil of Protected Areas,

Competent National Authority

César Augusto Azurdia Pérez,

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

National Focal Point

Leslie Melisa Ojeda Cabrera,

Biosafety Clearing-House Focal Point

NATIONAL BIOSAFETY POLICY OF LIVING MODIFIED ORGANISMS 2013-2023

Development of mechanisms to strengthen the

implementation of Article 23 and the Programme

of Work

Global Environment

Facility -Financial support

Legislative frameworks: Frameworks -Programme element 1 of the Programme of Work: Capacity-building

Programme element 2 of the Programme of Work: Public awareness and education

Public Awareness and Education Strategy

Books for 6th grade, Elementary schools

Workshops for journalists and governmental

spokesmen and other government officers

Publications

Posgraduate university courses and online

courses

Research program in Biosafety and OGM´s

www.bchguatemala.gob.gt

National Biosafety Clearing House (2008) -Programme element 3 of the Programme of Work: Access to information

www.bch.cbd.Int www.bchguatemala.gob.gt

Two-way mechanism:

National and International

CONAPHandling, feeding and periodic updating byBCH National focal

point

Hosted on a server, Content Management System Plone

Publications and services

Information workshops, national reports, module

on environmental biosafety and local biodiversity, online

course on biotechnology and biosafety.

User registration, content interaction and opportunity to

publish

ChallengesCreate a new National BCH, actualization in a recent and versatile platform to permit the access to users and providers

ActionsSocial Networks

Facebook and Twitter

Ministerial agreement 386/2006, of Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA)

• Agreement - requirements for the safe handling, transport, packaging andidentification

The biosafety regulation is now in revisions to be approved

• Challenges – Public Participation and engement of stakeholders

• No consensus between agrobusiness, academia and the enviromental sectors

Engaging the Public, Programme element 4 of the Programme of Work: Public Participation

Challenges• Guatemala – 1 of 19 Megadiverse

Countries, with high biological andcultural diversity.

• Guatemala is a multiethnic (21) andMultilanguage (51) society

• Challenges to raise awareness,educate and encourgeparticipation - although promoting abroad and inclusive process, involvingstakeholders with different social, ethnicaland economical points of view and interest

• Conclution: Lack of capacity toimplement the Programme ofWork and Article 23

Alvaro Bobadilla ©

Alvaro Bobadilla ©

The Way Forward – Extend the Programme of Work and adopt the Priority Activities/Actions of the Programme of Work

Priority activities/ areas include:

1. Legal and/or policy frameworks and mechanisms: Share information/actively make public policies and frameworks, set in place institutional arrangements, integrate gender-perspectives in frameworks for a wider audience and track progress and identify financial resources to implement the Programme of Work

2. Joint initiatives: Participate in regional initiatives, as this round table, and make use of resources such as the Aarhus Convention’s Lucca Guidelines and the joint AC/CBD documents

3. Tools, resources and processes to broaden training activities: Facilitate training-of-trainers programs in particular focus on women and indigenous people and local communities (e.g. promote the SCBD 2015-2020 Gender Plan of Action)

4. Communicate biosafety and empower a wider audience: Organize awareness workshops and translate materials (Spanish and at least one maya language)

5. Biosafety education at all levels: Develop tools and methods for public education

6. Tools and procedures for access to information: Regularly promoting up-to-date access to information of websites and promote training of government officials and local communities

7. Gender-equality for a wider target audience to participate in the decision-making process: Train local communities especially women

MSc. Leslie Melisa Ojeda Cabrera

BCH and CHM National Focal Point

megadiversidad@gmail.comlojeda@conap.gob.gt