Notification 2015-138

Dear Madam/Sir, In paragraph 5 of decision BS-VII/12, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP) invited Parties to submit to the Executive Secretary: a) Information on their needs and priorities for further guidance on specific topics of risk assessment of living modified organisms; and b) Existing guidance on specific topics of risk assessment of living modified organisms. The COP-MOP requested the Executive Secretary to synthesize the views submitted by Parties for its consideration, at its eighth meeting, of the need for the development of further guidance on topics prioritized on the basis of the needs indicated by the Parties with a view to moving towards operational objectives 1.3 and 1.4 of the Strategic Plan and its outcomes. Accordingly, I would kindly invite you to submit to the Secretariat any currently available information on the needs and priorities for further guidance, as well as existing guidance, on specific topics of risk assessment of living modified organisms as soon as possible, but no later than 31 May 2016. Parties may send submissions online through the Biosafety Clearing-House at http://bch.cbd.int/managementcentre/edit/submission.shtml or via e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int. I appreciate your continued support towards the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Executive Secretary

To: Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, cc: Biosafety Clearing-House National Focal Points