Delay signing protocol on biosafety: NGO

Delay signing protocol on biosafety: NGO

JAKARTA (JP): Several non governmental organizations urged the
government on Wednesday to delay the signing of the international
protocol on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Speaking at a discussion organized by Indonesian Biodeversity
Foundation, representatives of the NGOs said that Indonesia's
regulation was still too weak to accommodate the consequences of
the agreement.

"We should evaluate the protocol and disseminate information
about the consequences of the agreement to the public", said Hira
Jhamtani, member of National Consortium for Nature and Forest
Conservation in Indonesia (Konphalindo).

The global treaty on biosafety called Cartegena Protocol is an
international regulation focusing on precautionary approaches to
ensure an adequate level of protection in the field of safe
transfer, handling and use of GMOs resulting from biotechnology.

After five years of talks, ministers and senior officials from
over 130 governments, including Indonesia, finalized an agreement
in January in Montreal.

The agreement is scheduled for signing in Nairobi, Kenya in
May, this year.

Under the treaty, shipments of commodities that are produced
through GMO technology should be clearly labeled. Exporters must
also provide detailed information to each importing country in
advance of the first shipment, and the importer must then
authorize the shipment.

If Indonesia signs the agreement, it should adopt the treaty
into its regulations and be ready to accept imports of farm
products that include GMOs.

"We should establish stronger regulations before we ratify the
treaty. Our interests should be protected", said Mas Achmad
Santosa, director of Indonesian Center for Environmental Law.

The government recently issued guidelines on the biosafety of
farm products to support the global treaty on GMOs.

But NGOs claim such guidelines, which were issued to protect
certain farm products, were still too weak to protect the country
from the influx of imported GMOs in the future.

GMOs include various food crops that have been genetically
modified for greater productivity of nutritional value, or for
resistance to pests or diseases. Common examples are tomatoes,
corn and soybeans. (07)