| Ghana’s biosafety framework |
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| Friday,August 19,2005 Posted: 00:32 BJT(1632 GMT) 加纳写真报 |
A national biosafety framework for the country has been launched with a call on development partners to assist Ghana to acquire the requisite capacity and infrastructure for its effective implementation.
The framework addresses the use, transit, import and export of genetically-modified organisms(GMO) and their potential adverse effects on biological safety and human health.
It also aims at establishing reliable systems for regulations, risk assessment, monitoring and public engagement on issues related to modern biotechnology.
Launching the framework, the Minister of Environment and Science, Ms Christine Churcher, said the thirst for ensuring the sustainable management of biodiversity for socio-economic development was the reason for the country’s accession to the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety in Montreal, Canada, on May 30,2003.
The protocol is a key international treaty established to guide parties to develop systems for the environmentally sound and safe management of modern biotechnology practices.
Ms Churcher noted that Ghana was the first country in Africa and the 10th in the world to develop a national framework on biosafety and, therefore, called on Ghanaians and their partners to work together to achieve a workable system for the management of Modern biotechnology.
She said that also called for tremendous financial and technical support to build the capacity of the designated and regulatory agencies.
Ms Churcher commended all the stake-holder, particularly the Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, for their contribution to the development of the framework.
The National Project Co-ordinator, Mr. Alex Owusu-Biney, said in line with the requirement to domesticate its treaty obligations, the Boitechnoloty and Nuclear Agricultural Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission was tasked by the government to help carry out the project with collaborative assistance from the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility(GEF).
He said in view of that achievement, Ghana was being considered for additional support a four-year project to build the needed capacity and to help implement its biosafety framework.
Origin: Daily Graphic, Ghana Aug.17, 2005
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