NATIONAL PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON BIOSAFETY TO BEGIN SHORTLY

March 26, 2007

A National Public Consultation on Biosafety is scheduled to commence shortly. The consultation will be hosted by the National Biosafety Committee, N-B-C. The committee, a multi-sectoral body, compiled and developed a National Biosafety Framework, N-B-F. The framework is a combination of policy, legal, administrative, and technical instruments that ensure an adequate level of protection in the use and handling of Genetically Modified Organisms, G-M-Os. It is also part of an international agreement to which Belize has agreed. In October, last year, a Draft National Policy was developed and presented to the public for review.  Those views have been recorded, reviewed, and incorporated in the draft policy.  That policy will once again be presented to the public for comment and discussion, before it is presented to the Cabinet. The public review will be held at the George Price Center for Peace and Development in Belmopan this coming Friday, March 30th at 8:30 in the morning. A release from the committee says that they do not expect the public discourse on GMOs to stop with the organized public consultations. The committee says that modern biotechnology presents very technical and complicated issues which will need heavy discussion and input from all sectors of the society, should the policy and Biosafety framework be sound, effective, and beneficial. The committee encourages everyone to engage in the process by attending and participating in the discussion on the draft Biosafety Policy of Belize.

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