Biosafety is a strategic and integrated approach to analysing and managing risks from biological experiments, research and their applications to human, animal and plant life as well as health and associated risks to the environment.
The UN’s Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity, aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of organisms that have been modified using modern biotechnology.
While biotechnology can generate significant benefits, there are concerns that it may have adverse impact on biodiversity and human health.
The UN Protocol came into force in 2003 and now has 170 signatories. Its activities include developing national biosafety frameworks and implementing them. It also supports and encourages countries to participate in national biosafety frameworks and reports.