GMO Risk Communication, public awareness and public participation, and BCH use

The subregional training course is organised in the frame of the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project “Capacity development in biosafety” with the participation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as project beneficiaries.

The objectives of the subregional training course are to:

• enhance knowledge of the overall principles in risk analysis: risk assessment, risk management and risk communication with respect to agricultural biotechnologies with focus on risk communication;
• create awareness on the international treaties dealing with GMO risk communication, public awareness and participation in the decision-making;
• develop practical experience in communicating biosafety issues with different stakeholder groups: scientists, policy-makers, farmers, men and women, and media;
• increase the capability of the biosafety regulatory authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to plan and design a public awareness campaign on biosafety; hold public hearings before releasing a product of modern agricultural biotechnologies and combinant DNA plants; implement public participation procedures;
• train trainers, able to use and spread different communication approaches for biosafety related issues taking in consideration local societal specificities, including taking into consideration gender dimension.

The topics of the training course will be covered by presentations, practical interactive sessions and group discussions.