The Hindu : National : Gene Campaign criticises India’s ‘silence’ at global bio-safety meet

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Friday, May 23, 2008
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Gene Campaign criticises India’s ‘silence’ at global bio-safety meet

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: India’s role at the recently held fourth Meeting of Parties at Bonn on the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-safety for developing a global Liability and Redress regime on Genetically Engineered Organisms (GEOs) has been severely criticised by the Gene Campaign which participated in the event.

Suman Sahai of the Gene Campaign, who participated as an “accredited NGO,” was disappointed that India played “no role” at this crucial meeting. She charged India with “falsely” attempting to show at the international meet that it had fully complied with the requirements of the Bio-safety Protocol on compulsory compliance standards for dealing with GEOs such as transgenic plants.

“It is sad India does not go prepared to such crucial negotiations. For a country that has so many aspirations to engage in this technology (genetic engineering), it is scary that it should have such disregard for bio-safety,” she said.

Dr. Sahai said developing a Liability and Redress regime in GEOs had always been a controversial subject in the Bio-safety Protocol since the biotech industry, supported by countries such as the U.S., Brazil , Australia, Japan, etc., strongly opposes any international regime that would fix liability if something went wrong with the use of GEOs. On the other hand, developing countries want parties that produce and export GEOs to be made “accountable” if any damage to human and animal health and biodiversity is caused.

Heated debate

“At the negotiations, there was a heated debate when the developing countries proposed a compulsory liability regime that is legally binding on all countries. The leadership of the developing country group was taken by Malaysia, supported by the Philippines, Colombia and other Latin American countries and very decisively the African countries who were vocal in their support and effectively blocked the developed country positions with firm arguments.”

“Unfortunately, India was a silent spectator during the entire debate, disappointing many that had hoped to see India in a leadership role, fighting for the environmental and health safety of people in all countries where GEOs are being produced.” India was represented by an official of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Dr. Sahai said that at the instance of Malaysia, which led the initiative for a global and legally binding Liability and Redress regime, a Like-Minded Group of about 80 (including India) was formed to lobby more effectively against the developed countries.

According to her, the opposition to the international Liability regime was consistent and led by Japan, Peru and Brazil.

At one point it appeared as though the talks would break down but the Malaysian delegation saved the day and as a compromise it was decided to continue the talks in early 2009.

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