Suzanne Davis Senior Research Officer – Jamaica Clearing-House Mechanism Natural History Division Institute of Jamaica

CLEARING-HOUSE MECHANISM (CHM)

WHY A NATIONAL CHM? Many Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) found that there were problems identifying sources of and accessing biodiversity information both within and between countries. It was agreed that access to information on biodiversity would be promoted through the establishment of national Clearing-House Mechanisms as a requirement of the CBD (Article 18.3). The Jamaica CHM was established in 1999 and is coordinated by the Natural History Division of the Institute of Jamaica.

The Cartagena Protocol (a supplementary agreement to the CBD) was adopted in 2000 to protect biodiversity from risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. The need for easy information access and exchange on biosafety issues is reflected by the demands of the Protocol for  Scientific  Legislative and  Socio-economic information. The importance of effective information management for implementation of the Protocol resulted in the inclusion of Article 20: Information Sharing & the Biosafety Clearing-House. INFORMATION SHARING AND THE BIOSAFETY CLEARING-HOUSE

Article 20: A Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) be established as part of the clearing-house mechanism under Article 18, paragraph 3 of the CBD. BCH Objectives: * (a) Facilitate the exchange of scientific, technical, environmental and legal information on, and experience with, living modified organisms; and * (b) Assist Parties to implement the Protocol, taking into account the special needs of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them,... BIOSAFETY CLEARING-HOUSE

In summary, Article 20 also highlights the following: Without jeopardizing confidential information, any information required under the Protocol is to be provided to the BCH by the Parties BCH information must include: * existing laws, regulations and guidelines for implementation of the Protocol * the advance informed agreement procedure * bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements and arrangements * Summaries of its risk assessments or environmental reviews * final decisions regarding the importation or release of living modified organisms Information must be shared at not only national levels but also at regional and international levels. BIOSAFETY CLEARING-HOUSE (Cont.)

Participation in Latin American & Caribbean Meeting (Peru 2001) that focused on not only national CHMs but also the pilot phase of the BCH Provision of information for two capacity assessment questionnaires National CHM given access to a demonstration BCH database (through Management Centre) Former Biosafety Committee Chairperson & other Officers informed of the above activities JAMAICA & THE PILOT PHASE OF THE BCH

ROLE OF THE BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE Provision of validated information for BCH * National CHM can provide IT support and source taxonomic, ecological & public outreach expertise. Lacks biosafety expertise * Identified experts submit info for Committee review? * Implications of information – legal, trading decisions Official designation of individual(s) who direct information to the BCH Focal Point (in BCH format) Official designation of individual(s) who will assist the BCH Focal Point in checking the information uploaded to the database. Reliable information, the heart of the network.

POTENTIAL BCH MECHANISM? Biosafety Experts (Members of the Natl. Competent Authority?) National Competent Authority (designated Biosafety Comm. members) BCH Focal Point Management Centre/ CBD Secretariat BCH Website Information Users SD/JA CHM 2003

National Biosafety Framework Project Web Pages Biosafety Clearing-House

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