Biotechnology provides new and promising opportunities for achieving greater food security, reducing poverty and improving the quality of life for marginalized people in developing countries. However, concerns about the environmental and food safety of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and biotechnology-derived products, especially foods, have generated extensive international debate on the merits and safety of biotechnology. This debate is hampered by highly polarized views regarding the desirability of GMOs, and a lack of data regarding the actual impact of GMOs on the environment and human health. International dialogue regarding safety concerns gave rise to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (the Protocol), adopted January 2000. The agreement enters into force as a legally binding agreement once 50 countries have ratified . The Protocol makes clear that Parties to the Protocol must develop or have access to "the necessary capacities to act on and respond to their rights and obligations." As stated in Article 16, which deals with Risk Management, each Party has an obligation to "establish and maintain appropriate mechanisms, measures and strategies to regulate, manage and control risks identified in the risk assessment provisions". The Protocol provides considerable flexibility as to how countries may meet their obligations with respect to risk management decision-making and the implementation of these decisions. Signatories to the Cartagena Protocol agree to carry out the described risk management functions, however, limited human capacity makes the task difficult. The Protocol emphasizes the need for capacity building, including "the enhancement of technological and institutional capacity in biosafety" and recognizes that developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition will require assistance to achieve this, including financial support.

Seminar focus
A country's ability to implement an appropriate and functional system for biosafety review is key to determining whether or not the expected benefits of biotechnology are realized through the dissemination of new products to farmers and consumers. A review of the findings and recommendations from earlier research studies brings into focus the critical role government policies play in the setting up and implementation of national biosafety systems, and the quality of decision making.

ASARECA member countries and networks have to consider their strategy and involvement in biotechnology and biosafety, driven by research advancements and GMO product diffusion in the region, and following obligations under international agreements and the Cartagena Protocol. Obviously, developments in biotechnology and biosafety vary widely among ASARECA member countries, reflecting the overall status of agricultural research and regulation. Particularly regarding biosafety, Kenya and Uganda have taken significant steps towards establishing national biosafety systems, and are building up expertise in biosafety decision-making. Other member countries have had little exposure to biotechnology and biosafety. Through a collaborative mechanism such as ASARECA, the accumulated experiences can be shared and analyzed for the benefit of other member countries. The proposed seminar will present an important step in sharing expertise and information that is available regionally.

It has become apparent that the quality of biosafety decision-making is, to a great extent, dependent on the availability of good-quality information. Biosafety decision-making has become an information-intensive matter. Biosafety risk assessments, for example, result in specific information needs on the GMO in question and the environment in which it will be released. Advances in communications technology have enabled the development of Internet- or CD-based tools that enhance an analytical approach to decision making in a complex field such as biosafety. Examples of such services - such as DTree developed by UNIDO or the gene files / botanical files developed by Plant Research International - will be presented and discussed during the seminar.

The main focus of the proposed seminar, therefore, will be on the exchange of experiences and information among ASARECA member countries, identifying critical elements and decision points regarding the development of national biosafety systems. In addition, the seminar will focus on available information tools and sources that can enhance biosafety decision-making.