Notification 2023-100

Dear Madam/Sir, In decision CP-10/11, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP) invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit information on their experience with new detection techniques, detecting newly developed and unauthorized living modified organisms and developing reference materials, as well as ongoing collaborations involving national and regional laboratories. The COP-MOP also requested the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its twenty-sixth meeting to consider this information and prepare a recommendation to the COP-MOP at its eleventh meeting regarding the need to update the training manual on the detection and identification of living modified organisms. In addition, Parties were invited to submit information on their laboratories, including their specific activities, to the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH). Accordingly, I am pleased to invite Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations to submit information related to the above and advise whether there is a need in their view to update the Biosafety Technical Series 05: Training Manual on the Detection and Identification of Living Modified Organisms in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Parties, other Governments and stakeholders are encouraged to submit this information through the BCH using the Submission (SUB) common format accessible at the following link: https://bch.cbd.int/en/register/SUB/new. A template for the submissions is provided at: https://bch.cbd.int/protocol/detection/template_submit_info_cp1011.docx. Full instructions on how to upload submissions is provided at: https://bch.cbd.int/protocol/detection/how_to_submit_on_bch-detection.docx. Using the template provided will facilitate the work of the Secretariat, pursuant to decision CP-10/11, in, among other things, making the information available on a dedicated page on the BCH in due course. Only submissions using the template will be considered. Submissions from Parties should be made through the national focal points of the Cartagena Protocol. In the case of organizations, information should be submitted through the Heads of organizations. Lastly, I invite Parties to submit detailed information on their laboratories to the BCH using the Laboratory common format accessible at: https://bch.cbd.int/en/register/LAB/new. Kindly submit the information as soon as possible but no later than 24 November 2023. Please accept, Sir, Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Acting Executive Secretary

To: Cartagena Protocol national focal points, CBD national focal points (where CPB focal points have not yet been designated), BCH national focal points, and relevant organizations