Status of capacity building activities (Decision BS-II/3)
The meeting took a comprehensive decision relating to the Coordination Mechanism, the needs and priorities of countries and the review of the capacity-building Action Plan. It urged Parties, other Governments and organizations to share information through the Coordination Mechanism and BCH; communicate their needs to the BCH, use the compendium of biosafety courses available in the BCH; and provide financial support for biosafety training and education. It also invited institutions offering biosafety training to develop demand-driven programs addressing specific needs of countries and to establish collaborative partnerships, in particular between developed and developing country institutions. With regard to capacity-building needs and priorities, COP-MOP invited developed countries and international organizations to provide support to developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition to address their needs. It encouraged countries to develop prioritized national strategies for capacity-building in biosafety and to promote regional and subregional initiatives and approaches to address common needs. Finally the meeting adopted terms of reference for the comprehensive review of the capacity-building Action Plan. Governments and relevant organizations were invited to submit information regarding the progress and effectiveness in their implementation of the Action Plan as well as the gaps/weaknesses and suggestions on the desired revisions and improvements. The Secretariat will prepare, on the basis of the submissions received, a synthesis paper including strategic recommendations to be taken into account in the possible revision of the Action Plan by COP-MOP 3.
Regarding roster of experts (Decision BS-II/4), COP-MOP 2 reiterated its call to Parties and Governments to make nominations to it, and to effective of use of it. It further invited Governments and other donors to make contributions to the pilot phase of the Voluntary Fund for the Roster of Experts. It also requested the Secretariat to promote awareness about the roster and publicize the available funding from the pilot phase of the Voluntary Fund.
