UNEP-GEF Project on Development of National Biosafety Frameworks

First series of regional workshops (October 2001 - May 2002)

The UNEP-GEF Biosafety Team carried out a series of Regional Workshops, to help countries in the regions improve their understanding of the issues involved in developing their national biosafety frameworks. This first round of regional workshops was completed in May 2002, and helped countries to share experiences on developing their NBFs in an interactive environment.

These four workshops were held in cooperation with the CBD Secretariat, which held back-to-back workshops on the Biosafety Clearing House in most regions. They were targeted at National Project Coordinators (NPC) of participating countries or potential NPCs of countries yet to come on board. The workshops were aimed at creating awareness on issues related to the development of National Biosafety Frameworks. Each workshop analysed the implications of the Cartagena Protocol for countries, and participants also looked at the four phases of each national NBF project, working in plenary sessions, and in focus groups at a sub-regional level.

The workshops were held in the following locations:

• Africa: 16-19 January, Kenya  (60 participants from 35 countries) 
• Central and Eastern Europe and CIS: 5-9 February, Slovakia  (83 participants from 24 countries)
• Asia – Pacific: 4-8 March, China  (97 participants from 40 countries)
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 8-10 May, Argentina (58 participants from 30 countries)