Mexico
City , Mexico, 30 April 2002 -- Today the Mexican senate
ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a crucial
instrument of the Convention on Biodiversity that aims
to establish a system for the safe transfer, handling
and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Meanwhile,
enough congressmen were convinced by the agro-chemical
industry to freeze the national biosafety law initiative.
For this reason, greenpeace activists today went to
the congress and opened a banner saying "Ley de
Bioseguridad, Hoy Hoy Hoy" [Biosafety Law, Today
Today Today] to remind congressmen that they are responsible
for protecting the Mexican biodiversity, and maize in
particular.
"We
congratulate senators for recognising the importance
of the Protocol. It will give Mexico the opportunity
to protect its biodiversity from possible negative effects
of GMOs such as those that contaminated maize varieties
in Oaxaca and Puebla," said Liza Covantes of Greenpeace
Mexico.
So
far 18 countries around the world have ratified the
Biosafety Protocol, far short of the 50 needed for it
to enter into force.
The
urgent need for a strong Biosafety Protocol is illustrated
by the discovery six months ago of genetic contamination
of maize in Mexico. This was the first case of genetic
pollution in a centre of origin and diversity of a major
food crop.
During
the latest Biosafety Protocol meeting in April 2002,
Indian communities from affected regions, Greenpeace,
and other NGOs requested a NAFTA commission to analyse
the impact of genetically engineered maize and determine
the sources of contamination.
Greenpeace
calls on governments to immediately ratify the Biosafety
Protocol, thereby ensuring that the next meeting on
the protocol will be a Conference of the Parties with
true decision-making power.
See
our background
section for further information on the Biosafety
Protocol
Further
reading:
