The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) have being implementing the Capacity Building Project on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and Sustainable Development. The project`s aim is to improve the understanding of TRIPS-related issues among developing countries and to assist them in building their capacity for ongoing as well as future negotiations on IPRs. A series of documents from the project are now available, some directly or indirectly relevant to biotechnology. They include the "Resource book on TRIPS and development" (providing a practical guide to the WTOs agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)), a policy discussion paper and, finally, a number of publications (currently 13) comprising both case studies and "research tools". See http://www.iprsonline.org/unctadictsd/description.htm or contact [email protected] for more information.

The United Nations University`s Institute of Advanced Studies, in Tokyo, Japan, has published a report entitled "The international regime for bioprospecting: Existing policies and emerging issues for Antarctica", by D. Lohan and S. Johnston. Reviewing bioprospecting activities in Antarctica, the 25-page report gives an overview of these trends elsewhere (discussing the role of the biotechnology industry), as well as international policies governing bioprospecting activities. See http://www.ias.unu.edu/publications/details.cfm/ArticleID/431 or contact [email protected] for more information.

Two years ago, FAO began providing regular, free updates of news and event items relevant to applications of biotechnology in food and agriculture in developing countries. The items focus on FAO`s work and the work of its main United Nations (UN) and non-UN partners, and cover crops, fish, livestock, forest trees and agro-industry. In addition to being distributed through e-mail newsletters in 3 languages, they are also posted on the FAO Biotechnology website in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. The volume of material is now quite substantial, so the News webpage has been re-designed for easier use. See http://www.fao.org/biotech/news_list.asp?Cat=131 or contact [email protected] for more information or to comment on the site.

On 6-10 October 2003, an international symposium was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency and FAO on "Applications of gene-based technologies for improving animal production and health in developing countries" in Vienna, Austria. The text of opening addresses as well as many interesting slide presentations, including, for example, "First report on the state of the worlds animal genetic resources: Views on biotechnologies as expressed in country reports" from FAO`s Animal Production Service, are now available. See http://www.iaea.org/programmes/nafa/d3/public/d3-symposium.html or contact [email protected] for more details.

In December 2003, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) announced the publication of "The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: A record of the negotiations", which seeks to record the evolution of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity from the initial provision in Article 19(3) of the Convention itself through to the final adoption of the text of the Protocol in January 2000. The 140-page paper was developed by the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) at the request of the Executive Secretary of the CBD Secretariat. See http://www.biodiv.org/doc/publications/bs-brochure-03-en.pdf (1.2 MB) or contact [email protected] for more information or to request a copy.

In response to invitations by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Government of Italy organised a workshop on "Liability and redress in the context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety" on 2-4 December 2002 in Rome, Italy. The report of the workshop is available at http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/mop-01/docs.aspx?tab=1 (document UNEP/CBD/BS/COP-MOP/1/INF/8, available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) or contact [email protected] for more information.

The first of a series of six sub-regional workshops on "Development of regulatory regime and administrative systems", taking place under the United Nations Environment Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNEP-GEF) Project on Development of National Biosafety Frameworks, was held on 19-22 October 2003 in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran, in collaboration with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 58-page report of the workshop has just been published. See http://www.unep.ch/biosafety/pdf_files/shirazreportfinal.pdf or contact [email protected] for more information.

The 9th Conference of the Parties (COP-9) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place on 1-12 December 2003 in Milan, Italy and was attended by over 5,000 people and representatives of 171 states. At the meeting, agreement was reached, among other things, on modalities and procedures for including afforestation and reforestation activities under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol [the CDM promotes sustainable development in developing countries by channelling private-sector investment into greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, while offering industrialised countries credits against their Kyoto Protocol targets]. Relevant to GM trees, the COP adopted the text, "Recognizing that host Parties evaluate, in accordance with their national laws, potential risks associated with the use of genetically modified organisms by afforestation and reforestation project activities and that Parties included in Annex I evaluate, in accordance with their national laws, the use of temporary certified emission reductions and/or long-term certified emission reductions generated from afforestation and reforestation project activities that make use of genetically modified organisms". [Annex 1 parties are developed and transition countries listed in Annex 1 of the UNFCCC]. See http://unfccc.int/cop9/latest/sbsta_l27.pdf or contact [email protected] for more information.

As part of a regional policy dialogue on "Biotechnology, agriculture, and food security in Southern Africa", the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), one of the research centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), convened its first meeting on 25-26 April 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The minutes and report of the meeting, as well as six background documents, are available on the web. The background documents deal with the following subjects respectively: an overview of agricultural biotechnology in Southern Africa; consensus finding processes and GMOs; policy, regulatory and ethical issues surrounding agricultural biotechnology; biosafety; intellectual property rights and, finally, food safety and consumer choice. See http://www.ifpri.org/events/conferences/2003/042503.htm or contact [email protected] for more information.

The six working papers from a joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the "Safety assessment of foods derived from genetically modified animals, including fish", held on 17-21 November 2003 in Rome, Italy, have just been published on the web. They are "Generation and use of genetically modified farm animals" by L.M. Houdebine; "Status of genetically modified (transgenic) fish: Research and application" by R.A. Dunham; "Hazards associated with transgenesis methods" by E.M. Hallerman; "The food safety risk assessment of GM animals" by E.J. Kok and W. Jones; "Environmental impacts of genetically modified animals" by T.J. Benfey and, finally, "Ethical issues surrounding the GM-animals/GM-fish production" by M. Kaiser. See http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/food/risk_biotech_animal_en.stm or contact [email protected] for more information.

As part of its FAO Fisheries Circular series, FAO has just published "Genetically modified organisms and aquaculture" by J.A. Beardmore and J.S. Porte. This 35-page document reviews the nature of GMOs, the range of aquatic species in which GMOs have been produced, the methods and target genes employed, the benefits to aquaculture, the problems attached to use of GMOs and the regulatory and other social frameworks surrounding them, and concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at best practice. See http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y4955e/y4955e00.htmor contact FAO for more information.

The FAO e-mail conference entitled "Molecular marker assisted selection as a potential tool for genetic improvement of crops, forest trees, livestock and fish in developing countries" began on 17 November and finished on 14 December 2003. Roughly 630 people registered for this moderated conference, and a total of 85 messages were posted, providing excellent considerations on issues such as economic comparisons of marker assisted selection (MAS) and conventional breeding, the appropriateness of applying MAS in developing countries, the role of research collaborations between developing and developed countries and the factors that can enable successful use of MAS in developing countries. Messages came from participants in 26 different countries, with highest numbers coming from people in India, Australia, United States, United Kingdom and Peru. 59% of messages came from people living in developing countries. The messages are available at http://www.fao.org/biotech/logs/c10logs.htm or can be requested as a single e-mail (size 128 KB) from [email protected].

The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific has just published "The Yak", a second edition, revised and enlarged by G. Wiener, Han Jianlin and Long Ruijin, of the book by Cai Li and G. Wiener, first published by FAO in 1995. The book covers, among other things, the cytogenetics, molecular genetics and artificial insemination aspects of this remarkable domestic animal, found predominantly in the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. See http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/006/AD347E/AD347E00.HTM or contact [email protected] for more information.

A series of documents have been released on the web in preparation for the 1st meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP-1) that takes place on 23-27 February 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting will deal with the following issues, among others: information sharing including the Biosafety Clearing-House; capacity-building; liability and redress; compliance; and handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms. Most of the 22 official documents and 4 information documents are available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. See http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/mop-01/docs.aspx or contact [email protected] for more information.

As part of its STI Working Paper series, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (STI) has just published "An overview of biotechnology statistics in selected countries" by A. Devlin. The 74-page report provides an update of the current state of the biotechnology industry based on primarily official statistical sources. It includes data on publicly funded biotechnology R&D, the numbers of biotechnology firms (and the biotechnologies in which they are involved), biotechnology patents, biotechnology venture capital, genetically modified crops and, finally, biotechnology profiles of 26 OECD member and selected observer countries, plus the European Union. See http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2003doc.nsf/linkto/dsti-doc(2003)13 or contact [email protected] for more information.

The Third Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits will be held on 23-26 March 2004 in Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands, Spain. The Group was established by FAO`s Committee on Commodity Problems in 1999 and provides a forum for consultations on and studies of the economic and technical aspects of production, marketing, trade and consumption of bananas and tropical fruits. One of the items on the meeting`s agenda is consumer attitudes towards GMOs. In this respect, a paper by C. Marris has been commissioned by FAO entitled "Issues concerning public awareness and attitudes towards genetically modified bananas and tropical fruits". See http://www.fao.org/es/ESC/en/20953/20987/21306/event_34607en.html (document CRS 13, available in English, in Spanish (summary) and, later, in French) or a copy can be requested from FAO.