Article 23 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety requires that Parties shall, in accordance with their respective laws and regulations, consult the public in the decision-making process regarding living modified organisms and shall make the results of such decisions available to the public, while respecting confidential information in accordance with Article 21. In order to facilitate exchange of views and information regarding the techniques of public participation in the context of the Protocol, the Secretariat is holding an online discussion from 28 April to 9 May 2014 on "Techniques for engaging the public". The outcomes will be summarized in a background document for the eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP 8). Parties, other governments and relevant organizations are invited to nominate individuals involved in, or responsible for, promoting public participation to participate in the Forum. See http://bch.cbd.int/onlineconferences/portal_art23/pp_forum_discussion.shtml or contact [email protected] for more information.