biosafety

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commemorated the fifth anniversary of the United Nations-supported Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the first legally binding international treaty aimed at curbing possible harm from biotechnology to humans and biological diversity.

The first legally binding international treaty aimed at curbing potential harm to human health and biological diversity from biotechnology went into force today, with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan calling on the entire international community to fully implement its terms.

A treaty that sets out the first comprehensive regulatory system for ensuring the safe transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is on a 90-day countdown to becoming international law, after Palau become the fiftieth country to ratify the protocol, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today announced the launch of a multi-million dollar project to help developing countries assess the potential risks and rewards of genetically engineered crops.