BCH Project

Introduction

1. UNEP-GEF Capacity Building support for the BCH

Under the global Project for Development of National Biosafety Frameworks (NBFs) and the demonstration projects on implementation of the NBFs, UNEP has been closely involved in the development of support for capacity building for biosafety.

In response to the urgent needs of Parties to use and participate in the BCH the GEF approved, in March 2004, a new UNEP–GEF project entitled “Building Capacity for Effective Participation in the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH) of the Cartagena Protocol” to assist Parties of the CPB. The project is an add-on to the current UNEP–GEF Project for Development of National Biosafety Frameworks and was developed as a direct response to the needs of the countries for access and management of the Biosafety Clearing House and in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD). 139 countries are eligible for funding under this project.

UNEP-GEF BCH Project Brochure. pdf [435KB]
  

2. Project Objectives

The BCH Capacity Building Project has the following three main objectives:
a) To strengthen capacity in eligible countries through training of key stakeholders. The training will cover (i) data entry and management; (ii) identification and access to information required for decision- making under the Protocol and (iii) access to, and registration of, information in the BCH;
b) To create an enabling environment for Parties to meet their obligations for implementation of the Protocol by providing participating countries with computer hardware and software for data storage and exchange (with the BCH) over the Internet and by other means; and
c) To support further capacity building through the development and dissemination of an interactive computer-based training package.. The package will be developed at the global level, in close collaboration with the SCBD. The aim of the training package is to ensure that input from national participation in the BCH is consistent with the BCH central portal. 

3. Project Documents

BCH Project reports
- BCH Project Quarterly Report (April - June 2004)
- BCH Project Quarterly Report (July - September 2004)
- BCH Project Quarterly Report (October-December 2004)
- BCH Project First Bi-Annual report (June 2005)
- BCH Project Second Bi-Annual report (Dec 2005)
- BCH Project Fourth Bi-Annual report (Dec 2006)
- BCH Project Fifth Bi-Annual report (July 2007)

BCH Training Workshops

SUB-REGIONAL Workshops
- Pacific Islands Workshop, 2-5 November 2004 - Final Report
- Pacific Islands Workshop, 21-25 November 2005 - Final Report
- First BCH Training workshop for Caribbean Countries, Bridgetown, Barbados, 12-16 December 2005 - Final Report
- Second BCH Training workshop for Caribbean Countries, Bridgetown, Barbados, 19-23 November 2007
- First BCH Training Workshop for LAM countries, Montevideo, Uruguay - Final Report
- 2nd BCH Training Workshop for LAM countries, 3-7 September 2007,Panama City, Panam - Final Report
- BCH Training Workshop for EU countries, 17-21 September 2007, Ljubljana, Slovenia - Final Report
   
REGIONAL ADVISORS Workshops
- First BCH Training of Trainers Course for IT and CPB Regional Advisors, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(31/01 to 12/02/2005)
- Second BCH Training of Trainers Course for IT and CPB Regional Advisors, Bangkok, Thailand
(May 2006)
- Third BCH Training of Trainers Course for IT and CPB Regional Advisors, Geneva, Switzerland (Feb 2007)
- Fourth BCH Training of Trainers Course for IT and CPB Regional Advisors, Geneva, Switzerland
(October 2007)
- First Regional Advisor meeting, New Delhi, India
(May 2007)

EXPERTS Workshops
- Summary on the proceedings of the BCH Training and Materials Development Workshop, Geneva (3-4 May 2004)
- Report of the Consultation of Regional Scientists and Technical Experts on UNEP-GEF Project for Capacity Building for the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH), Geneva (13-14 December 2004)

BCH Project training material

   - OPERATIONAL HANDBOOK for Participating in the UNEP-GEF Project for Effective Participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH)
   - UNEP-GEF BCH Training Modules