Achievements

• The 7th Meeting of the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology was held February 27-28, 2008 in Lima, Peru and was preceded by a Private Sector Day. Main issues for discussion included commodity trade and the low-level presence of regulated recombinant DNA plant materials in trade, implications of transparent policies and regulations on the use of agricultural biotechnology, and key concerns on liability and redress on research and trade. The meeting agreed to undertake work complementary to that proposed by the RDEAB with respect to harmonization of the technical aspects of regulation. It also examined the potential for agricultural biotechnology to increase productivity and enhance food security while at the same time protecting human health and the environment. The HLPDAB's 2007-2009 work plan will conclude next year when a 2010-2012 Work Plan will be submitted to the APEC Senior Officials Meeting next year for their endorsement.
• New initiatives were submitted for consideration and approval of the Policy Dialogue plenary which focused on continued efforts to improve the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
• The APEC Workshop on Liability and Redress was held in Hanoi on 19-21 September 2007. The workshop provided an introduction to important issues surrounding liability and redress as it relates to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB). Issues addressed include the resulting impacts on the environment, the role of regulatory systems for ensuring environmental safety, the basic concepts for liability, and how countries might use existing legal frameworks to address issues related to damage caused by transboundary movement of living modified organisms, as defined in the Cartagena Protocol. Additional sessions considered the definition of damage from a scientific perspective, and the development of a safety dossier for a public sector biotechnology project.
• The Chair of the HLPDAB recognized that "public perceptions of biotech" are important to the current policy agenda of the members. Hence, the Workshop on Public Perception of Agricultural Biotechnology was held in Lima, Peru, on 4-5 October 2007. The workshop examined the relationship between agricultural biotechnology policy and public perception and understanding of the technology among stakeholders such as NGOs and industry. The workshop discussed approaches to public policy development and building policy capacity for the safe introduction and use of agricultural biotechnology products.
• The Policy Dialogue expressed their support for the Proposal of the Policy Dialogue Steering Group to organize a conference on the Biodiversity Conservation in order to improve the knowledge of the impact and legal considerations of the Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity.