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)

23. Does the Protocol address the issue of compliance?

The Protocol envisages procedures and mechanisms to promote compliance of Parties with their obligations and address the cases of non-compliance. At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol considered and approved such procedures and mechanisms, including a compliance committee of 15 members nominated by Parties and elected by COP-MOP (see Decision BS-I/7). The compliance procedures shall be separate from, and without prejudice to, the dispute-settlement procedures and mechanisms established by Article 27 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (see Article 34 of the Protocol). Further information is available on the Protocol home page.