At their next meeting, the multidisciplinary AHTEG will identify capacity-building, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing needs based on priorities determined by Parties on issues related to synthetic biology and in the light of the outcomes of the horizon scanning process.
To facilitate a gathering of additional  information, participants are asked to consider the following points in relation to this topic:
- What particular challenges impact the participation of developing countries in the field of synthetic biology?
- What are the related capacity-building needs?
- What concrete steps could be taken to address those needs?
- What are the specific capacity building needs associated with the trends and issues identified for  synthetic biology (see topic 1)?
- How could technology transfer be facilitated?
- What opportunities and modalities exist for knowledge-sharing?
- How could broad cooperation be facilitated and the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities be taken into account?

Dear colleagues,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Open-ended Online Forum on Synthetic Biology. The forum will be open from 6 to 15 November at 17.00 EST. I will be moderating the discussion and will provide support should the need arise. Please also bear in mind the forum guidelines that you can find on the website.

Thank you in advance for your engagement and I am looking forward to productive discussions!

Kind regards,
Florian Rabitz

Facilitating broad cooperation in capacity-building, technology transfer, and knowledge-sharing of synthetic biology in developing countries while taking into account the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities requires a thoughtful and inclusive approach.
Proposed key strategies:
Stakeholder Involvement and Collaboration:
Involve a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from indigenous communities, local governments, NGOs, and scientific organizations in the planning and decision-making processes.
Establish partnerships between developed and developing countries, fostering collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and community leaders.
Cultural Sensitivity and Respect:
Incorporate cultural sensitivity into all aspects of synthetic biology initiatives. Recognize and respect the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples.
Ensure that initiatives align with the cultural values, beliefs, and practices of local communities, and do not infringe upon their rights.
Capacity-Building Programs:
Develop tailored capacity-building programs that address the specific needs and priorities of developing countries. These programs should cover scientific, ethical, regulatory, and socioeconomic aspects of synthetic biology.
Implement training programs at various levels, including workshops, mentorship programs, and academic collaborations.
Technology Transfer Mechanisms:
Facilitate technology transfer through fair and transparent mechanisms. Consider establishing partnerships between research institutions, universities, and industry to transfer knowledge and technologies.
Develop guidelines and frameworks that ensure equitable access to synthetic biology advancements, with a focus on benefiting local economies and communities.
Ethical and Regulatory Frameworks:
Collaboratively develop ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks that govern synthetic biology activities. Ensure that these frameworks are adaptable to the cultural and legal contexts of developing countries.
Involve local communities in the development of ethical standards and regulatory processes to ensure their concerns and perspectives are considered.
Knowledge-Sharing Platforms:
Establish accessible and inclusive platforms for knowledge-sharing. This may include online repositories, workshops, and conferences that bring together scientists, policymakers, and community representatives.
Promote open-access publishing and data sharing to enhance the dissemination of knowledge and prevent the concentration of information among a few entities.
Community Empowerment and Benefit-Sharing:
Implement benefit-sharing mechanisms that ensure the fair distribution of benefits arising from synthetic biology activities. This could include revenue-sharing arrangements, technology licensing agreements, or other models that directly benefit local communities.
Empower local communities to actively participate in decision-making processes related to synthetic biology, giving them a voice in shaping the direction of research and applications.
Long-Term Sustainability:
Foster long-term sustainability by integrating synthetic biology initiatives into broader development strategies. Align these initiatives with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address societal challenges, such as health, agriculture, and environmental conservation.
By incorporating these principles and strategies, it is possible to foster a collaborative and inclusive approach to synthetic biology in developing countries, respecting the needs and perspectives of indigenous peoples and local communities.

Dear Zabta,

Thank you for your comments. I would like to avail myself of the opportunity and kindly encourage other participants in the Open-Ended Online Forum to share their views on this or the other topic, bearing in mind the (extended) deadline of 22 November.  Your feedback is extremely valuable for the information gathering step of the overall process. I would greatly appreciate if you could find some time during the coming week to let us know your thoughts.

Kind regards,
Florian

For sustainability, these categories require long-term strategic planning, long-term investment, and long-term support.  While there are occasional short-term and immediate needs (eg. training on equipment/techniques, technologies), the ability to sustainably take advantage of science skills usually requires an enabling environment for research & innovation.
In my view, we (not sure who this is!) should perhaps be developing a generalised strategic plan which allows the different member countries to use as a 'straw dog' to develop their interests for synbio in relation to biodiversity conservation and IPLC participation.

Greetings dear colleagues!

I am Pr Frédéric Ngezahayo, I was nominated as the representative of the Burundi Environment Protection Authority. I am geneticist and interested in plant molecular epigenetics.

In my opinion, the particular challenges impacting the participation of developing countries in the field of synthetic biology, for example in the case of my country Burundi, are mainly related to the lack of appropriate laboratory and equipment and the training.

Thus, capacity building needs related to synthetic biology are equiped laboratory and the training of scientists, indigenous,and local communities for a broad information and sensibilisation.

The specific capacity building needs associated with the trends and issues in synthetic biology should be the équipment and training in the detection methods and risk assessment.

Technology transfer should be facilitated through, for example, financing support, training, matching services, parternerships and alliances and support for equipment purchase or licensing.

I think that broad cooperation and considerations of indigenous and local community needs should be guided by the policies, procedures and values of each involved group in synthetic biology.

Best wishes and kind regards,

Pr Frédéric Ngezahayo

Dear Colleagues,
In Ghana, the first and foremost thing to consider is a communication strategy on synthetic biology. Many researchers either have no knowledge or little knowledge about synthetic biology. There is therefore a need for a communication strategy to be rolled out to educate scientists and the general population about this very important topic. In addition, there need for advocacy in order to influence the government's science and technology policy to encompass this field. The communication strategy has be to wholistic to include all stakeholders such as scientists, communicators, policy makers, relevant government agencies just to mention a few.

The few scientists who have knowledge about synthetic biology are handicapped in terms of equipment and expertise. The capacity building is therefore key to support these scientists who are willing to delve into this field.

Knowledge sharing and technology transfer can be achieved through north-south collaboration. To this end scientists from the south could be given opportunities to visit laboratories in the north to learn more about the basic techniques used in synthetic biology in a short to medium term stay. In a long term, scientists from the north and south could team up and write grants together to carry out synthetic biology project together.

There is need for a common platform to be established to facilitate these suggestions, which I believe will help to leap the synthetic biology initiatives in Ghana.

Thank you
Francis Djankpa-Ghana.

Dear participants,

My name is Luciana Ambrozevicius and I have been working for the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for the past decade. I am also currently a member of the Brazilian National Biosafety Commission and I have been a member of the AHTEG on Risk Assessment in 2023, as well as I am a former member of the previous Synbio AHTEG. Thank you for the moderator and for the Secretariat for the opportunity to share some ideas.

The identification by the AHTEG of the capacity-building, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing needs based on priorities determined by Parties is essential for LMICs, not only as a tool to implement the GBF but also to work towards other international commitments such as SDG-2 to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition and to contribute with sustainable solutions for the climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

Regarding some of the questions presented by the moderator:

What particular challenges impact the participation of developing countries in the field of synthetic biology?
- The lack of financial resources meaning the equipments in the laboratories are obsolete, the acquisition of reagents and other lab supplies is limited, the lab researchers do not have a continuous training to be updated in the new techniques. 
- The lack of capacity-building activities and adequate conditions for the researchers leading to a brain drain to developed countries.
- The lack of specific knowledge on specific issues that can impact the development of commercial products such as the intellectual property systems. 
- The lack of international agreement about benefit-sharing mechanisms that could promote innovation and aggregate value to the genetic resource of mega diverse countries. 

What are the related capacity-building needs? 
What concrete steps could be taken to address those needs?
- Need for partnership with international institutions at the frontier of knowledge in order to allow the exchange of researchers who, upon returning to the country, can implement new techniques and disseminate knowledge in order to form specialized technical staff.
- Strengthening of regional networks for tropical solutions that can support the food and energy sectors.
- To make available specific funding lines in the GEF  for access and utilization of financial resources for the activities related with synbio capacity-building, technology transfer and knowledge-sharing in the developing coutnry Parties, according with CBD article 21.

What are the specific capacity building needs associated with the trends and issues identified for  synthetic biology (see topic 1)?
- To train researchers, particularly in the public sector and SME, and to have a strategy at the institutional level on the translation of new products into commercial stages.

How could technology transfer be facilitated?
- Planning from the beginning of a project for licensing of patented technologies used in the development of the product, ensuring continuity from the initial phase of the project till the commercial phase.
- Public policies and/or tax benefits that promotes technological innovation, as well as to reduce bureaucracy in the processes of importing equipment and reagents used in R&D.
- To provide new and additional financial resources to enable developing country Parties to develop local and regional solutions based on synbio techniques, according with the terms of CBD article 20


What opportunities and modalities exist for knowledge-sharing?
- Democratization of biotechnology techniques, expanding the participation of public institutions and SME in the development and commercialization of new products.
- Institutional arrangements and public-private partnership models to actively foster the development of beneficial technologies for the countries including a larger north-south cooperation.

How could broad cooperation be facilitated and the needs of indigenous peoples and local communities be taken into account?
- Use of new technologies for genetic breeding of orphan or minor crops that can be more resilient to climate change and that are of great importance for food and energy security.

Best regards,
Luciana

Dear Participants of the Open-ended Online Forum on Synthetic Biology,

Thank you for your interventions and active engagement.
The forum is now closed for comments.

Thank you,
The Secretariat