India reiterated its commitment to ratify the supplementary protocol to the 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, and urged other countries to fast-track the process.
India’s commitment was conveyed by the Union Minister for Environment and Forest, Jayanthi Natarajan, on the opening day of the United National Convention on Biological Diversity here on Monday. Being the host country, India took over as chair of the Conference of Parties from Japan.
The supplementary protocol was adopted at the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur meet in October 2010, mainly to supplement the Cartagena treaty by providing additional rules and procedures on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity resulting from living modified organisms (LMOs). LMOs are organisms that are genetically modified through modern biotechnology. The supplementary protocol provides for administrative procedures and requirements regarding response measures that need to be taken, in the event of damage by LMOs that adversely affect the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
So far, 51 countries, including India, have been signatories to the supplementary protocol, with only three countries having ratified it.
Jayanthi Natarajan said India is in the process of ratifying the supplementary protocol on liability. “We urge all other countries to fast track the ratification. We need to follow the protocol in letter and spirit,” she said in her inaugural address to the convention.
Cartagena Protocol
She reiterated India’s commitment to the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in a balanced manner, which sought to accelerate global efforts to promote conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources.
On the issue of LMOs, she said there were divergent views, particularly in regard to their long term impacts on biodiversity, human health and socio economics. “It is no easy task balancing modern technology and impact on biosafety. There are no shortcuts in achieving this balance. LMOs is a controversial issue with concerns on long-term impact on ecology and conservation,” she said.
Ferreira De Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said a number of member countries have established legal, administrative and other measures for the implementation of the protocol.