| The Sri Lankan national
workshop was conducted in Peradeniya by the Plant Genetic
Resources Centre on 31 May -1 June 2004. It gathered a total
of 44 concerned stakeholders (33 male and 11female) mostly
researchers from various government research agencies, policy
makers and members of civil societies and NGOs.
The use of modern biotechnology (rDNA) to produce GMO is
a subject of great importance to the policy makers, consumers,
and the scientific community in Sri Lanka. Although GM crop
production is the most rapidly adapted technology in the history
of agriculture there are still growing concerns about the
technology in the developed and developing countries including
Sri Lanka. Therefore, food and environmental safety evaluation
is being considered very essential. The biosafety of GM crops
in developed countries are regulated through a coordinated
framework developed and administered by the government agencies.
Although Sri Lanka does not produce any GM crops, the government
has an obligation under the CPB to take precautionary measures
to ensure safety of GM crops. As a first step, it is necessary
to bring together stakeholders from the different government
institution, private sector or non-government organization,
etc. to a common forum in order to create awareness as to
the biosafety of GM crops as well as exchange views or institutional
capacities to implement the biosafety regulations pertaining
to GM corps.
The workshop specifically aimed to create awareness among
various stakeholders on the state of biotechnology in Sri
Lanka and to determine capacity building needs with respect
to the biosafety of GM crops in Sri Lanka.
The present status of biotechnology R and D in Sri Lanka
and the requirements for biosafety of GM crops were determined
from the various presentations of agencies including universities
engaged in biotechnology research. The status, policy matters,
legal issues, and measures were taken up by the following
topics: 1) Biotechnology and biosafety policy in Sri Lanka;
2) legal issues related to GM crops and their safety measures;
3) Intellectual property Rights; and, 4) Laboratory Safety
Guidelines for Biotechnology.
All information generated from the workshop will be used
in the finalization of the National Biosafety Framework. The
draft framework was also presented to the participants for
discussion by the focal point of the UNEP-GEF projects on
the development of the National Biosafety Framework.
There were eight major areas identified for capacity building
in biosafety for Sri Lanka: Human resources and training;
institutional capacity for R and D resources and training
(infrastructure, equipment and supplies); institutional capacity
for bio-safety assessments (laboratory, green house and field
facilities for risk assessment studies); technology development;
information management ( information technology for sharing,
exchange and dissemination of information, creating public
awareness and updating literature and information); regulatory
mechanisms( legal aspects, identifying minimum standards and
guidelines for bio-safety testing); policy development through
institutional support; ethics IPR and PBR. In terms of human
resources development the priorities are: training of research,
technical and extension staff on testing GMOs and GMFs, training
of personnel in risk assessment studies and training of personnel
for creating awareness of GMOs. On the other hand, the priorities
for technology development are: technologies for GMO and GMF
testing, waste disposal to minimize release of GM products
to environment, risk assessment.
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