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)

20. What initiatives have been taken towards capacity building for the effective implementation of the Protocol?

A number of initiatives have been implemented at various levels to support countries to meet their capacity-building requirements under the Biosafety Protocol. The Action Plan for building capacities adopted by the first meeting of COP-MOP (see Decision BS-I/5) provides a framework to assist governments and organizations to better address priority capacity-building elements in a strategic, systematic and integrated manner. A Coordination Mechanism was established to facilitate coherent and collaborative implementation of the Action Plan and to ensure mutual supportiveness among different initiatives. Capacity-building databases have been developed in the Biosafety Clearing-House to allow exchange of information on on-going activities, identification of gaps and improved targeting of available resources and opportunities to meet specific country needs and priorities. In addition, a roster of experts has been established to provide advice and other support, as appropriate and upon request, to developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition, to conduct risk assessment, make informed decisions, develop national human resources and promote institutional strengthening, associated with the transboundary movements of living modified organisms.

Governments and organizations have also initiated various capacity-building activities, projects and programs related to biosafety. One example of such initiatives is the UNEP/GEF global project entitled "Development of National Biosafety Frameworks" which is aimed at assisting developing countries to develop national biosafety regulatory and administrative regimes, decision-making systems including risk assessment, and mechanisms for public participation. There are also many other initiatives of varying sizes and scope supported by other donors and organizations. More than sixty such on-going initiatives are registered in the project database in the Biosafety Clearing-House. Further information is available on the Protocol home page.