Development of National Biosafety Frameworks Project (Add-on)

Legal and regulatory structures will be required in order to implement the CartagenaProtocol on Biosafety. This project aims to assist all GEF eligible countries to preparefor the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in accordance with theInitial Biosafety Strategy as endorsed by the 16th GEF council meeting held inWashington, DC on 1-3 November 2000, taking into account other bilateral andmultilateral initiatives. More specifically the projects aims at assisting all GEF eligiblecountries that have signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to prepare nationalbiosafety frameworks and promote regional and sub-regional cooperation through theconvening of regional and sub-regional workshops. The implementation of the projectwill be guided by the “Indicative framework for capacity building under the CartagenaProtocol on Biosafety”(UNEP/CBD/ICCP/1/4) as well as the guidance of theIntergovernmental Committee of the Cartagena Protocol.The commitment from GEF was to extend support to all eligible countries seekingsupport, with a clear understanding that the original figure of 100 countries was aplanning figure. The current additional request is merely a continuation of the originalproject, based on the same standards and project structure. This add-on project thus only extends the support already provided for the first 100 countries to a further 20 countries to prepare them for the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in accordance with the Initial Biosafety Strategy. This project will thus assist these countries to fulfil their obligations now that the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has entered into force. This add-on project shares the aims and activities of the original project to assist GEF eligible countries to prepare national biosafety frameworks and promote regional and sub-regional cooperation.