For the first time, the Philippines will participate as a party in the Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties (COP-MOP IV) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on May 12-16, 2008 at Bonn, Germany.

In its consultation meeting held on April 14, 2008, representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Environment and Natural Resources, Heath, and the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines presented the various agenda and issues to be discussed during COP-MOP IV. These were monitoring and reporting; options for implementation of the notification requirement; risk assessment and management; subsidiary bodies; capacity building activities and roster of experts; report of the compliance committee; public awareness and participation; handling, transport, packaging and identification of LMOs; socio-economic considerations; and liability and redress. Documents can be downloaded at http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=MOP-04.

It further invites submission of comments on these items not later than April 21, 2008. Comments may be submitted to:

DA Policy Research Service
3rd Floor Department of Agriculture Bldg.,
Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City
Tel (02) 926-7439/928-8741-46 (2317/2319)
Fax (02) 928-0590

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Sonny P. Tababa
Network Administrator
Biotechnology Information Center
SEAMEO SEARCA
College, Laguna 4031
Email: spt at agri.searca.org
Tel: (63-49)536-7163
Tele/Fax: (63-49)536-7162
URL: www.bic.searca.org