Notification 2023-108

Dear Madam/Sir, Reference is made to notification 2023-084 issued on 4 August 2023, inviting Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and indigenous peoples and local communities to nominate representatives to take part in a workshop under the theme “Advances in risk assessment – Twenty years of theory and practice”, to be convened on 30 31 October 2023. I am pleased to inform you that the deadline to submit nominations for virtual participation has been extended to 25 October 2023. I would like to thank Parties, other Governments, relevant organizations and indigenous peoples and local communities who have submitted nominations and invite those who have not yet done so to submit their nominations as soon as possible. The workshop will draw from the lessons and experiences of the regional training courses on risk assessment held under the auspices of the Korea Biosafety Capacity-Building Initiative. In addition, the workshop will consider important topics such as implications for risk assessment and risk management of new breeding techniques, and the role of modelling in risk assessment and risk management. The workshop will also consider Target 17 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework with a view to advancing discussion on complementary risk assessment indicators for the monitoring framework. The global risk assessment workshop will be held as a hybrid event, with virtual participation options to maximize global accessibility. It will consist of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Accordingly, I am pleased to invite Parties from all regions, other Governments and relevant organizations, to nominate representatives to take part in the workshop virtually. The nominee must have practical experience with, or is expected to be involved in, conducting risk assessment of living modified organisms. Participants will be selected on the basis of their relevant expertise, taking into account geographical representation and gender balance. The workshop will be conducted in English. The official nomination letter must be accompanied by a duly completed nomination form (annex I). Only complete nominations submitted through the Cartagena Protocol focal point, or Heads of organizations, as appropriate, will be considered. Nominations should be sent to the Secretariat via e-mail to secretariat@cbd.int. Thank you for your continued cooperation and support to the work of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. 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), relevant organizations, and indigenous peoples and local communities, cc: BCH national focal points