Antigua and Barbuda is a two-island nation which is located in the Eastern Caribbean.  The population of under 100,000 - with approximately 1600 living in Barbuda just prior to the September 2017 devastation by Hurricane Irma - is largely of African descent.  The economy is largely service oriented, with trade imports contributing approximately US$450 million, and exports amounting to about US$40 million.

The Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety were ratified by Antigua and Barbuda on December 29, 1993 and December 9, 2003, respectively.  The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing was ratified on March 12, 2017.

Antigua and Barbuda has, since 2002, been actively involved in assessing, developing and implementing a national biosafety framework for the country.  Stakeholder consultations, training of regulators, development of national draft legislation, regulatory attachments and other capacity building activities constitute the main efforts in the process.  In recent times, through a UNEP-GEF funded regional project, several activities were undertaken at the regional level with a view to harmonise the issue of biosafety across the Caribbean region.

Food and feed safety assessment capacity building stakeholder training activities were conducted in the first quarter of 2018 to assist te country in the process going forward.

The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, is responsible for the regulation of all activities related to the management of the environment for the purpose of attaining sustainable development in line with the Millenium development goals. Consequently, the Ministry is responsible for the implementation of the Biosafety Law (Act 831) which came into force on 31 December 2011.

The Ministry imlemented the National Biosafety Authority in July 2015  to be responsible for all matters on rDNA-derived foods. The NBA receives, reviews and decides on all applications of this nature. Based on the type of application, the Act 831 constituted the Technical Advisory Committee to review the application and submit report to the Board of the NBA to make decision. Ghana has not yet carried out any rDNA-derived food safety assessment however, the NBA has approved confined field trials of rDNA-derived cotton, sweet potato, rice and cowpea. Currently, the National Biosafety Clearing House is undergoing maintenance, however the Ghana page on the Global Biosafety Clearing House has additional information that may be accessed through the following address: bch.cbd.int/about/countryprofile.shtml?country=gh

1. Indonesia has  ratified Protocol  on Biosafety to the  Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through the Indonesian Law No. 21 / 2004.  In the implementation, biosafety  assessment for GM products, based on Goverment Regulation Number 21 /2005, Indonesia  has regulated GM products on  several items including : product kinds and requrements, research and developement,  product importation,  product assessment, release and distribution, supervision and monitoring, and institution and financing. We have also Law for food  No. 18 /2012 which also consists of regulation for GM food.
2. Indonesia already have procedure /application on GMO  biosafety assessment and National Authorized Institution who conducting  the biosafety  assessment .  Each GM food  should have authorization from Goverment  before it can be released and distributed. An application for authorisation for new  GM food  should be submited to  Biosafety Commision  through related Ministry or authorised Non Departement Goverment Agency (LPND) . Biosafety Commision, then sends the application to the National Agency for Drug and Food Control (Badan POM) for technical team to evaluate  the GM food safety.  The recommendation by technical team will be sent  back  to Biosafety Commision. The recommendation and GM Food safety certificate will be released by Biosafety Commision to the applicant through  related ministry or LPND.  

Iran has ratified Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2003. The National Biosafety Law has also been ratified in 2009. The regulations for the National Biosafety Law have been prepared and approved during last ten years. All these laws and regulations deal with Living GMOs (LMOs) and there is no Law for the regulation of the non-living GMOs. All these laws and regulations are accessible at: http://bch.cbd.int/database/results?searchid=622770. Codex principles for the risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology and other guidelines such as the Codex guidelines for the conduct of food safety assessment of foods produced using recombinant-DNA plants and microorganisms are widely accepted and used.

The process for authorization of new LMO release includes comprehensive risk assessment and management analysis. Ministry of Agriculture (Jihade Keshavarzi) is responsible for approval of the release, import, export, transit and use of Agricultural Related LMOs. The requests should be forwarded to: a[email protected]; with a CC to National Focal Point: [email protected]. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety National Focal Point is in charge of all liaison affairs related to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and acts as the contact point for the communications received. The Ministry of Health and Medical Education is in charge with the approval of all LMOs related to food and medicine. Environmental Protection Organization is in charge with the environmental release of LMOs in the wild nature and/or related to the wild organisms. Detailed procedure for authorization of GM food and feed is under preparation.

The agricultural sector is one of the economic pillars of Paraguay in its contribution to the GDP, with the main crops being soybean, cassava, maize, wheat, sugar cane, and cotton. It should also be noted that Paraguay is the world’s fourth exporter of soybean. In 2020, the area planted with crops was 4.67 million hectares and consisted of soybean (3.56 million hectares), maize (1.08 million hectares), and cotton (18,000 hectares). Agricultural biotechnology was first regulated in Paraguay in 1997. In 2012, the system was adjusted through the creation of the National Agricultural and Forestry Biosafety Commission (CONBIO), “with the mission to manage, analyze, and issue recommendations on all matters related to the introduction, confined field trials, pre-commercial and commercial release, and other intended uses of GE crops” Almost 94% of the soybean, 36% of the maize, and 56% of the cotton planted in the country are GE.

When a stacked event is approved, all possible combinations are approved. Previously evaluated single events are not reevaluated in stacks.

The development of the GMO safety assessment currently used in the Russian Federation started in 1995–1996. The methodological approaches to comprehensive complex medical and biological assessment of GMOs were developed in the Russian Federation with due regard for international and national experience as well as new scientific approaches based on the achievements of contemporary fundamental science: genomic and proteomic analysis, detection of DNA damage or mutagenic activity, identification of products of free-radical modifications of DNA or other sensitive biomarkers. GMO safety assessment is carried out for the state registration. Any novel food derived from plant GMO produced in Russia or imported into Russia for the first time is subject to the state registration . Guidance for safety assessment is specified in MU 2.3.2.2306-07 “Medico-Biological Safety Assessment of Plant Genetically Modified Organisms”. According to the accepted regulations,the human health assessment of a novel GMO to be placed on the domestic market includes the following: ■ Molecular assessment includes analysis of genetic construction, genetic modification method, and the gene expression level. ■ Technological assessment includes determination of organoleptic and functional properties, analysis of technological characteristics of the finished products. ■ Human health safety assessment includes several sections of required assessments: analysis of compositional equivalence and toxicological,genotoxicological, and allergological safety studies. ■ Methods for identification include qualitative and quantitative assay of GMO in food (studies targeted at determination of correspondence of these methods to those used in Russia in order to provide monitoring of use and labeling of GM food). The list and the scope of required studies is determined on the basis of analysis of information of the GMO submitted for registration; however, the above-mentioned studies are required. If significant changes in the GMO’s genome, proteome, or metabolome are shown, additional studies may be required to determine: biological value and absorbency reproductive effect; gonadotoxic, embryotoxic, teratotoxic effect; potential carcinogenic effect; lifetime, etc.

Russia follows the national Methodical Guidelines  2.3.2.3388-16 “Medical and biological safety assessment of genetically modified stack events of plant origin ”

Our position regarding GM stacks registration is very close to the EU approach.