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Fourth Joint Aarhus Convention and Convention on Biological Diversity Roundtable on Public Awareness, Education, Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice regarding Living Modified Organisms/Genetically Modified Organisms

Fourth Joint Aarhus Convention and Convention on Biological Diversity Roundtable on Public Awareness, Education, Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice regarding Living Modified Organisms/Genetically Modified Organisms

11 - 12 December 2023
Salle V, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

The roundtable was organized under the auspices of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The event aimed to build countries’ capacities through sharing knowledge, experiences and lessons learned in promoting public awareness, education, access to information, public participation and access to justice regarding LMOs/GMOs and to make suggestions for future action at the national, regional and international levels.

The meeting featured a training session on procedures and practice on access to justice related to LMOs/GMOs.

Provisional programme for the Round Table along with other documents and material is available under the tabs below.

You can also watch the meeting in YouTube:

Day 1, December 11: https://youtu.be/qqxjJCestGQ

Day 2, December 12: https://youtu.be/RIPLpt-1aFs

Find out more about the outcomes of the meeting in a news article here.

Survey on the awareness and use of guiding materials

The secretariat of the UNECE Aarhus Convention and the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity have prepared different guiding materials to support Parties, interested Member States and different stakeholders in their efforts towards ratification and implementation of the Aarhus Convention and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in the context of LMOs/GMOs (see section “Background information” below).

A short survey has been prepared on the awareness and use of these guiding materials. Also, case studies/practical examples of promoting public awareness, education, access to information, public participation and access to justice regarding LMOs/GMOs were collected through the survey. 

The survey has been closed. The results were shared during the Fourth Global Roundtable on GMOs/LMOs and helped the secretariats in the preparation for this meeting. Please find the presentation summarizing the outcomes of the survey below.

Background material

Statements and presentations

Statements and Presentations

Item II:  Ratification and implementation of the Aarhus Convention’s Almaty Amendment on GMOs and implementation of Article 23 on public awareness, education and participation under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: challenges and good practices


Presentations on the status of ratification and implementation of the Aarhus Convention and of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Presentation by Aarhus Convention secretariat PDF

Presentation by Cartagena Protocol secretariat PDF


Panel presentations

Ms. Enkelejda Malaj, Director, Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Albania PDF

Ms. Mari Chakryan, Legal Advisor, and Mr. Hakob Matevosyan, Chief Specialist, Department of Specially Protected Natural Areas and Biodiversity Policy, Ministry of Environment, Armenia PDF

 

Item III: Access to information


Introduction to provisions on access to information of the Aarhus Convention and of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Presentation by Aarhus Convention secretariat PDF

Presentation by Cartagena Protocol secretariat PDF


Panel presentations

Ms. Lulu Agustina, Senior Policy Analyst for Biosafety and Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia PDF
 
Mr. Mario Joao De Oliveira, Legal Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Environment and Biodiversity of Guinea-Bissau PDF

Ms. Alessandra Salamini, CropLife International PDF

 

Item IV: Public awareness and education


Introduction on provisions of the Aarhus Convention and the Cartagena Protocol

Presentation by Aarhus Convention secretariat PDF

Presentation by Cartagena Protocol secretariat PDF


Panel presentations

Ms. Nino Gokhelashvili, Head, Sustainable Development Division, Environment and Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia PDF

Mr. Roy Mugiira, Chief Executive Officer, National Biosafety Authority of Kenya PDF

Ms. Ani Byoran and Ms. Lilit Yuzbashyan, Ayb High School Eco team and NGO Public Awareness and Monitoring Centre PDF

 

Item V: Public participation 


Introduction to provisions

Presentation by Aarhus Convention secretariat PDF

Presentation by Cartagena Protocol secretariat PDF


Panel presentations

Ms. Jasna Pekušić, Expert adviser on GMOs, Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina PDF

Mr. Alejandro Espinosa Calderón, Executive Secretary of the Intersecretarial Commission on Biosafety and Genetically Modified Organisms (CIBIOGEM), Mexico PDF

Ms. Antje Lorch, NGO European ECO Forum PDF

 

Item VI: Access to Justice 


Introduction to provisions

Presentation by Aarhus Convention secretariat PDF

Presentation by Cartagena Protocol secretariat PDF


Panel presentations
 

Ms. Laura Gornicioiu, Deputy Head of Unit ENV.E4, Environmental rule of law & governance, Directorate-General Environment, European Commission PDF

Ms. Andrea Nakova, NGO European ECO Forum PDF


Training on procedures on access to justice related to LMOs/GMOs

Presentation by the Facilitator on experiences/case studies PDF

 

Item VIII: The way forward

Presentation by the secretariats PDF