UNIDO e-Biosafety

A novel approach to Biosafety Training

Presented to the 18th SFO meeting at UNESCO, Paris

3 November 2010

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

• Legally binding Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Adopted in Montreal in January 2000, entered into force in September 2003

• Intention:To promote biosafety by establishing rules and procedures for the safe transfer, handling, and use of LMOs, with specific focus on transboundary movements of LMOs

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Biosafety Training and Capacity Building

• Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol requires individual, scientific and institutional capacities

• Biosafety regulation and oversight are key bottlenecks to commercial applications of and trade in biotechnology

• Building biosafety capacity is a complex task and requires a multidisciplinary approach

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Challenges

• Biosafety as an multidisciplinary discipline• Rising demand• Available expertise• Training should be targeted to countries‘ own

capacity, needs and priorities

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UNIDO’s Mandate in Biotechnology & biosafety

The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, through Resolution 1999/61 adopted on 30 July 1999 and renewed through Resolution: ECOSOC 2004/68, gives UNIDO, amongst other UN bodies and other international institutions, the mandate to

"exchange information on biosafety regulation and capacity-building, including through case studies on (a) partnerships in biotechnology, (b) biosafety, (c) bioethics and (d) approaches to biotechnology and intellectual property rights issues".

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UNIDO’s Assets

• International Network of Experts• Cooperation with European Food

Safety Authority (EFSA)• Worldwide Biosafety Information

Network and Advisory Service (BINAS)

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e-Biosafety:http://binas.unido.org/moodle

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e-Biosafety is targeted at:

• Professionals in life and social sciences and in law in– National regulatory agencies– National and international research

institutes– Institutional and industrial professionals

involved in biosafety compliance

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UNIDO e-Biosafety

• One year duration with academic accreditation at postgraduate level

• Delivered through a state-of-the-art online training portal

• Complemented with two short on-campus sessions

• Students submit a thesis at the end of the programme

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e-Biosafety Training Course:

7 Core Modules

Background (Plant breeding, molecular biology, tools of biotechnology)

Applications of gene technology

Basics of risk assessment and regulatory structures

Food and feed safety

Environmental safety

National and international regulatory systems

Risk perception and communication

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UNIDO e-Biosafety Training Course

• Training includes:– Practical laboratory training in plant

transformation and gene detection methods– Hands-on case studies on the procedures

involved in formulating and assessing GMO application dossiers as EFSA

(integral part of the on-campus sessions)

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• Worldwide Network Nodes:

• Gent University, Belgium

• Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

• Marche Polytechnic University, Italy

e-Biosafety Network

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e-Biosafety Network

• UNIDO– Coordination– Peer Review (International Advisory Board)– International and national faculty

• Nodes (universities)– Teaching– Student tutoring– Academic accreditation

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Unique Features• Integrated long-term multidisciplinary study curriculum in

biosafety• Combination of innovative distance learning multimedia

with extensive on-campus tuition including laboratory practices

• Academic accreditation at diploma/master level; rigorous student performance assessment

• Didactic material developed by eminent experts • Peer reviewed content in respect to quality, topical

relevance• Tailored content responding to regional needs • Constructive feedback mechanisms enabling beneficial

improvements

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These features of UNIDO‘s e-Biosafety Programme are in line with the core recommendations of the Second International Meeting of Academic Institutions and Organizations Involved in Biosafety Education and Training, organised by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Kuala Lumpur, 16-18 April 2007

Unique Features (cont.)

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e-Biosafety advantages

• Overcomes geographical constraints• Enables flexibility for students• Develops trainee’s autonomy,

motivation and discipline • Overcomes institutional limitations

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Train the trainers

• ensuring long-term sustainability through training of key resources persons in governments, academia and industry to develop adequate indigenous biosafety expertise in countries

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Current status

• As of October 2010, 174 students completed the course

• >50% of the trainees are currently engaged with national regulatory authorities

• 56% of trainees female

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e-Biosafety student nationalities:

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UNIDO Fellowships

• Covered travel, accommodation for residential training sessions & university administration costs for African students

• Selection process:– University screens applications for academic

qualification– UNIDO, together with university, pre-selects

candidates with appropriate profile– Fellowship conditional on official nomination of

candidate by respective government

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Lessons learned

• Logistical challenges• Cost implications• Flexibility important• Selection of trainees • Need for understanding of

regional/national requirements• Language• Distance learning + on-campus tuition is

amendable for biosafety capacity building

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