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BIOSAFETY
PROTOCOL PRESS ADVISORY
It is the view
of Greenpeace that there should be no irreversible releases
of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment
given their possible adverse effects on biodiversity, taking
also into account human health. There is already sufficient
knowledge that releases of GMOs can have irreversible effects
on ecosystems and that genetic pollution may lead to self-replicating,
man-made damage to the environment. Current assessments of the
potential adverse impacts of GMOs rarely consider the possible
long-term effects on the environment and human health.
Montreal,
24 January 2000
BIOSAFETY
PROTOCOL: THE TEN KEY ELEMENTS:
- The
precautionary principle must be the
overriding objective and the basis for all decision-making
under the Biosafety Protocol. Since there is no consensus
amongst scientists about the environmental and health safety
of releasing GMOs (known in these negotiations as Living
Modified Organisms and products thereof), the Biosafety
Protocol must support the need for countries to take preventative
measures and action. Suggestions that there should be a
list of living modified organisms excluded from the scope
of the Protocol would be inconsistent with a precautionary
approach, and therefore rejected;
- The
Biosafety Protocol must establish an international advance
informed agreement for all living modified organisms
and products thereof, including in particular transgenic
commodities, prior to any transboundary movements. The
Protocol must reaffirm the right of countries to ban shipments
of living modified organisms and products thereof on the
basis of concerns about potential adverse impacts to the
environment, human health and socio-economic conditions;
- Provisions
for the establishment of an effective liability regime
in respect of all activities within the scope of the Biosafety
Protocol must be adopted. At this stage in the negotiations,
there should be no backtracking on commitments to develop
such rules within four years of entry into force;
- The
Biosafety Protocol must require labelling and traceability
of living modified organisms and products thereof for
biosafety purposes;
- The
Biosafety Protocol must provide a mechanism to ban and
phase out at the global level any living modified organism
that may have adverse impacts on the conservation and sustainable
use of biodiversity, taking also into account risks
to human health.
- The
Biosafety Protocol must prevent all imports and/or releases
of living modified organisms or products thereof into
centres of genetic diversity and centres of origin or environmentally
sensitive areas;
- The
Biosafety Protocol must apply to products derived
from living modified organisms;
- The
Biosafety Protocol and its advance informed agreement must
apply to living modified organisms destined for contained
use;
- In
order to reinforce the Biosafety Protocol and encourage
membership, there should be no trade with non-Parties
to the Protocol. Arrangements with non-Parties should
be permitted only on terms that are more environmentally
stringent than those set out in the Protocol;
- The
Biosafety Protocol will be the most comprehensive international
legal instrument regulating the use of living modified organisms.
Any suggestion of subordination to other international
agreements, such as the rules of the World Trade Organisation,
would be inconsistent with the aims and purpose of the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Greenpeace
has prepared an annotated negotiating text for the Biosafety
Protocol, available on request.
For
further information, please contact the Greenpeace International
delegation:
(514) 243 5709;
(514) 975 1774.
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