PREFACE

In Agenda 21, Governments undertook to consider international cooperation on safety in biotechnology. That commitment includes: sharing experience, capacity-building and international agreement on principles for safety.

The Governing Council of UNEP in its decision 18/36 B affirmed the desirability of UNEP contributing to international efforts on biosafety, including the development of international technical guidelines, while avoiding duplication with other international activities currently being undertaken by organizations, in particular the work initiated by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, at its second meeting, taking into account the provisions of Articles 8(g) and 19 (3) of the Convention, decided to develop a protocol on biosafety, specifically focusing on transboundary movement, of any living modified organism resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effect on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, setting out for consideration, in particular, appropriate procedure for advanced informed agreement. It stressed the importance of the urgent finalization of the UNEP International Technical Guidelines on Safety in Biotechnology, which may be used as an interim mechanism during the development and implementation of a protocol without prejudice to the development and conclusion of such a protocol and to complement it after its conclusion.

These technical Guidelines are intended as a contribution to the implementation of Agenda 21 commitments and aim to assist Governments, intergovernmental, private sector and other organizations in the establishment and maintenance of national capacities to provide for safety in biotechnology, to assist in developing expert human resources and for international exchange of information.

These Guidelines have been developed on the basis of common elements and principles derived from relevant existing regional and international instruments and national regulations and guidelines, and drawing upon experience already gained through their preparation and implementation.