Development of National Biosafety Frameworks Project (Add-on)

Legal and regulatory structures will be required in order to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This project aims to assist all GEF eligible countries to prepare for the entry into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in accordance with the Initial Biosafety Strategy as endorsed by the 16th GEF council meeting held in Washington, DC on 1-3 November 2000, taking into account other bilateral and multilateral initiatives. More specifically the projects aims at assisting all GEF eligible countries that have signed the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to prepare national biosafety frameworks and promote regional and sub-regional cooperation through the convening of regional and sub-regional workshops. The implementation of the project will be guided by the “Indicative framework for capacity building under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety”(UNEP/CBD/ICCP/1/4) as well as the guidance of the Intergovernmental Committee of the Cartagena Protocol. The commitment from GEF was to extend support to all eligible countries seeking support, with a clear understanding that the original figure of 100 countries was a planning figure. The current additional request is merely a continuation of the original project, 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.