All Questions

The Secretariat has prepared these questions and answers to assist public understanding of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It is not intended to provide legal interpretation of the Protocol. Please refer to the original text of the Protocol for any further information.

a.	Biosafety and Biotechnology
	(Questions 1-7)

b.	The Biosafety Protocol and its Implementation
	(Questions 8-28)

c.	Becoming a Party to the Protocol
	(Questions 29-35)

15. What is the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH)?

The Protocol established a Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) as part of the clearing-house mechanism of the Convention, in order to facilitate the exchange of scientific, technical, environmental and legal information on, and experience with, living modified organisms; and to assist Parties to implement the Protocol (see Article 20 of the Protocol).

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (ICCP) recommended that the Biosafety Clearing-House should be established in a phased manner beginning with a pilot phase. The first meeting of COP-MOP approved the transition from the pilot phase to the fully operational phase and adopted modalities for its operations (Decision BS-I/3).

Further information about the development of the Biosafety Clearing-House is available in the archives relating to the work of the ICCP. The BCH website also contains a section devoted specifically to Frequently Asked Questions about the Biosafety Clearing-House.

Go to the Biosafety Clearing-House Central Portal now...