The Conference of the Parties,
Welcoming the signatures of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety that have already taken place and reiterating the call of decision EM-I/3 to all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to sign the Protocol at the earliest opportunity, and to deposit instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval, or instruments of accession, as appropriate, as soon as possible,
Reiterating also the call of decision EM-I/3 upon States that are not Parties to the Convention to ratify, accept, approve or accede to it, as appropriate, without delay, thereby enabling them also to become Parties to the Protocol,
Recalling the mandate given to the open-ended ad hoc Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in decision EM-I/3 to undertake, with the support of the Executive Secretary, the preparations necessary for the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol,
Reaffirming that the meeting of the Parties is the only sovereign body with regard to the implementation of the Protocol, Emphasizing the preparatory character of the work to be undertaken by the Intergovernmental Committee in order to facilitate the work of the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol,
Underscoring therefore that, without prejudice to the provisions of the Protocol, including time-frames, the meeting of the Parties is the only body entitled to decide on issues that are required to be addressed during its meetings, and to what extent and in which manner it wishes to use the preparatory work of the Intergovernmental Committee,
Noting that a work programme should reflect all issues that the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol might wish to address at its first meeting,
Emphasizing the necessity to complete as early as possible the preparations for the entry into force of the Protocol,
Emphasizing also the priority of launching the Biosafety Clearing-House no later than the entry into force of the Protocol, and also the need to engage in capacity-building as soon as possible,
Welcoming the decision taken by the Council of the Global Environment Facility at its fifteenth meeting with regard to supporting activities that will assist countries to prepare for the entry into force of the Protocol,
1. Endorses the work plan for the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety as contained in the annex to the present decision;
2. Requests the Executive Secretary to invite all relevant stakeholders to contribute to the development and/or strengthening of capacities in biosafety for the purpose of the effective implementation of the Protocol, in particular in developing country Parties, and to report on progress made to the first meeting of the Parties;
3. Requests also the Executive Secretary to convene, prior to the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the meeting of technical experts on the Biosafety Clearing-House referred to in the table at the end of decision EM-I/3, and reiterates its invitation to Parties and States to make contributions for the supplementary budget for biosafety to the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BE) for Additional Voluntary Contributions in Support of Approved Activities for the biennium 1999-2000, as presented in the table at the end of decision EM-I/3;
4. Welcomes the generous offer made by the Government of France to host the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee fothe Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety from 11 to 15 December 2000 in Montpellier.
A. Issues for consideration by the ICCP at its first meeting
1. Decision-making (Article 10, para. 7) Issue: Identification of basic elements for appropriate procedures and mechanisms to facilitate decision-making by Parties of import.
2. Information-sharing (Article 20, Article 19)
Issues:
3. Capacity-building (Article 22, Article 28)
4. Handling, transport, packaging and identification (Article 18)
5. Compliance (Article 34)
B. Issues for consideration by the ICCP at its second meeting
1. Liability and redress (Article 27)
Issue: Elaboration of a draft recommendation on the process for elaboration of international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress for damage resulting from transboundary movements of living modified organisms, including, inter alia:
2. Monitoring and reporting (Article 33)
Issue: Format and timing for reporting.
3. Secretariat (Article 31)
Issue: Development of a programme budget for the biennium following the entry into force of the Protocol.
4. Guidance to the financial mechanism (Article 28, para. 5, Article 22)
Issue: Elaboration of guidance for the financial mechanism.
5. Rules of procedure for the meeting of the Parties Issue: Consideration of rules of procedure.
6. Consideration of other issues necessary for effective implementation of the Protocol (e.g., Article 29, para. 4)
7. Elaboration of a draft provisional agenda for the first meeting of the Parties Items for continued consideration from the first meeting of the ICCP
8. Decision-making (Article 10, para. 7)
9. Information-sharing (Article 20)
10. Capacity-building (Article 22, Article 28, para. 28)
11 Handling, transport, packaging and identification (Article 18)
Issue: Modalities for a process for discussion on Article 18, paragraph 2 (a) by the first meeting of the Parties.
12. Compliance (Article 34).
