6th MOP and 11th COP meetings start in Hyderabad

The sixth meeting of the of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological (CBD) serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP 6) started yesterday in Hyderabad, India, and will continue until 5 October 2012.

It will be followed by the eleventh meeting of CBD COP (COP11) which will meet from 8-19 October. COP/MOP 6 will address a number of substantive issues, including: capacity building; handling, transport, packaging and identification (HTPI) of living modified organisms (LMOs); notification requirement; unintentional transboundary movements and emergency measures; risk assessment and risk management; socio-economic considerations; monitoring and reporting; and the second assessment and review of the Protocol’s effectiveness.

The meeting will also address standing agenda items relating to the Compliance Committee; the Biosafety Clearing House (BCH); financial resources and mechanism; and cooperation with other organizations, conventions and initiatives. COP/MOP6 is also expected to consider the status of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress.

CBD COP 11 will address the status of the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing (ABS); implementation of the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 and progress towards the Aichi biodiversity targets; and issues related to financial resources and mechanism, cooperation, outreach and UN Decade on Biodiversity, operations of the Convention, and administrative and budgetary matters.

Delegates will also review the programme of work on island biodiversity and address: ecosystem restoration; Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge); marine and coastal biodiversity; biodiversity and climate change; biodiversity and development; and several other ecosystem-related and cross-cutting issues. From 16-19 October 2012, the high-level segment will focus on: implementation of Strategic plan; biodiversity for livelihoods and poverty reduction; marine and coastal biodiversity; and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on ABS.