GURTS de facto moratorium maintained
Bridges Trade BioRes, Vol. 6 No. 6, April 3, 2006 (Brazil)

At the COP, many developing countries and civil society groups geared up to fight language in the draft decision on genetic restriction use technologies (GURTS, i.e. technologies that can be used to genetically alter seeds to be sterile and thus prevent reuse) that they feared could undermine the current de facto moratorium on GURTS adopted at COP-5. The controversy centred on text forwarded by the CBD Working Group on Article 8(j) which would allow for case-by-case risk assessments of GURTS (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 3 February 2006). While the text was supported by New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and industry groups, the G-77/China strongly opposed the language which they warned could open the door to field trials, pointing to the threats GURTS pose for farmers, biodiversity, indigenous peoples and food security. After relatively short discussions in a 'Friends of the Chair' group, the reference to case-by-case risk assessments was dropped from the final decision.

Biotechnology-related issues also crept up in discussions on forest biodiversity where language related to genetically modified (GM) trees proved particularly controversial. Some countries, such as the EU, Ghana and Kenya advocated a precautionary approach to the use of GM trees. Liberia requested guidance from SBSTTA before allowing the use of GM trees while Iran and several civil society groups called for an outright moratorium. The final decision recommends Parties take a precautionary approach and requests the CBD Executive Secretary to gather existing information for consideration at the next SBSTTA meeting.

COP-9 will be held in Germany in 2008.

Web Link: http://www.ictsd.org/biores/06-04-03/story1.htm