Biotechnology: Decisions of the GA and CSD

United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, 3rd Session
New York, 11-28 April 1995

Report of the Commission on Sustainable Development on the Third Session (11-28 April 1995)

3. Environmentally sound management of biotechnology

153. The Commission on Sustainable Development takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the subject of chapter 16 of Agenda 21, entitled "Environmentally sound management of biotechnology" (E/CN.17/1995/20) and its Proposals for action provided in section V of that report which identify areas for priority action by countries and international organizations, with a view to enhancing the potential contribution of biotechnology in the attainment of sustainable development objectives at national, regional and international levels within a framework of biosafety. Future reports should place a stronger emphasis, including more information and proposals, on the ecological, safety, health, and socio-economic and ethical aspects of the application of biotechnology and the commercialization of biotechnology products, with particular reference to genetic engineering, including genetically modified organisms when human genetic material is involved. Such reports should take into account existing uncertainties and the most recent findings of the science of genetics. This would enable the Commission to take a balanced and objective approach to biotechnology.

154. The Commission recalls that chapter 16 of Agenda 21 states that the environmentally sound management of biotechnology has the potential to make a significant contribution to enabling the development of better health care, enhanced food security through sustainable agriculture practices, improved supplies of potable water, more efficient industrial development processes for transforming raw materials, support for sustainable methods of afforestation and reforestation, the removal of pollutants from the environment, and the conservation and use of natural resources, notably biological resources. The Commission urges United Nations bodies to continue to monitor and evaluate biotechnology experiments and projects.

155. The Commission recognizes, however, that concerns exist about biosafety in the application of biotechnology and the commercialization of biotechnology products, in particular with regard to genetically modified organisms. It notes the absence of a globally agreed framework for the safe handling and transfer of biotechnology, and the sustainable management of genetically modified organisms. It further notes the particular significance of this for developing countries. Taking into account the precautionary approach, the Commission attaches high priority to the safe handling of biotechnology. It therefore welcomes the decision of the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to establish a process for considering the need for and modalities of a protocol on biosafety in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of any living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology that may have adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. That decision involves the establishment of a panel of experts and an open-ended ad hoc working group of experts nominated by Governments. It also welcomes the decision of the Conference of the Parties to include consideration of the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities in its medium-term programme of work.

156. The Commission also notes recent initiatives for the implementation of the objectives of chapter 16, such as the WHO Conference on Biotechnology and World Health, the recent launch of the Biosafety Information Network and Advisory Service (BINAS) within the United Nations system under the auspices of UNIDO, and the ongoing work in UNEP, as well as the work taking place within the European Union and OECD and the rapid streamlining and rationalization of the regulation of biotechnology products in the United States.

157. The Commission, therefore:

(a) Urges Governments to take specific action, within the framework of articles 16 and 19 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, aimed at enhancing the potential contribution of the private sector, financial, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations and other major groups, to the implementation of the objectives of chapter 16, particularly in view of their significant role in research and the development, application, and financing of biotechnology, and in capacity- building for biosafety, risk management and assessments, and to:

(i)Increase where appropriate the involvement of business and industry, and financial, academic and research institutions, non-governmental organizations and other major groups in national, regional and international consultations on biotechnology development trends and on impact assessments;

(ii) Encourage the conducting of case-studies on "best practice" in the environmentally sound and safe development, application and management of biotechnology, and to make the results available, especially to developing countries at national and regional levels;

(iii) Support as appropriate the establishment of biotechnology associations, particularly in developing countries, with a view to facilitating the safe commercialization and application of biotechnology products and processes, in accordance with the provisions of articles 16 and 19 of the Convention on Biological Diversity;

(iv) Also support as appropriate the establishment and strengthening of research facilities in universities, research institutes and Governments in connection with scientific aspects of biosafety and risk management and assessments;

(v) Mobilize financial resources from both the public and the private sector for biotechnology research, development and work on safety and for its sustainable use and management, especially in developing countries;

(b) Urges countries and international organizations to accord high priority to measures aimed at integrating biotechnology, including biosafety concerns, effectively into national and regional sustainable development policies and programmes. In this regard, support should be provided to:

(i) Enhance the contribution of business and industry, local authorities, scientific and technological communities, non-governmental organizations and other major groups to the identification of problems (and appropriate solutions) related to the environmentally sound use and management of biotechnology;

(ii) Promote a balanced and accurate understanding of biotechnology issues as they impinge upon sustainable development including those related to biosafety and progressive trends in biotechnology development, through, for example, training at national and regional levels;

(iii) Establish national databases on information related to biosafety where these do not currently exist and promote the exchange of information concerning biosafety in biotechnology;

(iv) Encourage the national and local scientific and technological communities to exercise ethical responsibility, through safe laboratory practices and effective and transparent interaction with the public at large;

(v) Assess the need for advice and assistance in promoting the development or re-enforcement of biotechnology and biosafety regulations, norms and standards, especially in the fields of agricultural, human and animal health, with a view to designing effective programmes for the environmentally sound management of biotechnology, building whenever possible upon existing activities and capacities;

(vi) Enhance efforts aimed at human resource development, transfer and development of technology and capacity-building in developing countries to regulate, manage and control risks associated with the use and release of living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology;

(c) Invites the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to keep the Commission informed of developments concerning the work on the need for and modalities of a protocol on biosafety, with a view to identifying areas for further cooperation on this issue. Such areas might include work on capacity-building measures, especially in developing countries;

(d) Invites countries, international organizations and the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to make their experiences gained in the environmentally sound application and management of biotechnology available in order to facilitate the Commission's work in keeping this issue under review;

(e) Notes the work on the development of possible international voluntary technical guidelines on biosafety and stresses that such work should not be seen as overriding existing national and regional legislation or as prejudging the result of the ongoing discussions on the need for and modalities of a protocol on biosafety under the Convention on Biological Diversity.