(Last revised:May 5, 2010 )
(Further information: bbch@wiv-isp.be)

The list of Belgian experts nomitated for the roster of experts is available online from the Biosafety Clearing-House.

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Decision EM-I/3, paragraph 14, established a regionally balanced roster of experts nominated by Governments, in fields relevant to risk assessment and risk management related to the Protocol. The mandate of the roster, as specified in decision EM-I/3 is to "provide advice and other support, as appropriate and upon request, to developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition, to conduct risk assessment, make informed decisions, develop national human resources and promote institutional strengthening, associated with the transboundary movements of living modified organisms".

Moreover, the roster of experts should perform all other functions assigned to it by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol in the future, in particular in the fields of capacity-building.
The roster of experts is an instrument to build capacities and to aid developing country Parties, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition until adequate capacities have been built.

Interim Guidelines for the Roster of Experts and a pilot-phase of a voluntary trust fund for the roster have been established and adopted according to Decision BS-I/4 of the First Meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol (MOP-1).
Parties and Governments are requested to nominate experts (no more that 50 per country and no more than 5 per area of specialization) and/or update information currently contained in the roster.

Each expert shall act solely in their personal capacity, regardless of any other governmental, industry, organizational or academic affiliation.
The operation of the roster will be subject to independent periodic review.