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At the Conference of the Parties serving as the third meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP-3), Parties agreed to a decision that provided guidance on the appropriate documentation requirements for shipments of LMO-FFPs (decision BS-III/10) Paragraph 4 of this decision outlines the information that needs to be included on documentation accompanying such shipments.  The Parties decided to review and assess, at their fifth meeting (MOP-5), experience gained with the implementation of paragraph 4 with a view to considering a decision at its sixth meeting on potential revisions.  They also agreed to consider experience gained with the use of documentation with a view to further harmonization of a documentation format to fulfill the identification requirements set out in paragraph 4, including consideration of the need for a stand-alone document.

Parties, Governments and relevant observers were invited to submit information on their experiences in implementing this decision during the time between MOP-3 and the discussion of this issue at MOP-5.  The GIC submitted such information, as did several other Parties and observers.  These submissions demonstrate that implementation is already occurring in a way that provides the importing country competent authorities and customs officials with sufficient information to monitor the import of the material in a way that is minimally disruptive to trade.

B. GIC Views on the Elements of the MOP-5 Draft Decision

• The GIC supports the draft decision to postpone a discussion of the paragraph 4 shipping documentation requirements until the eighth meeting of the Parties and, in the interim, supports Parties continued efforts to implement the paragraph 4 requirements in domestic official protocols or laws.  One example of such efforts comes from Mexico, which implemented the paragraph 4 shipping documentation requirements through a Trilateral Arrangement on “Documentation Requirements for Living Modified Organisms for Food or Feed, or for Processing” with Canada and the United States.
• Additionally, the GIC supports the draft decision that allows the continued use of existing documentation – namely, the commercial invoice - to implement the Article 18.2(a) documentation requirements, rather than a decision that encourages the development of a stand-alone document for this purpose.
• Lastly, the GIC supports the draft decision that calls upon Parties to expedite the implementation of their biosafety regulatory frameworks and make available to the Biosafety Clearing-House any laws, regulations and guidelines for the implementation of the Protocol, and any changes to their regulatory requirements related to the identification and documentation of LMO-FFPs. 

* The Global Industry Coalition (GIC) for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety receives input and direction from trade associations representing thousands of companies from all over the world.  Participants include associations representing and companies engaged in a variety of industrial sectors such as plant science, seeds, agricultural biotechnology, food production, animal agriculture, human and animal health care, and the environment.