Public Participation and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: A Review for DfID and UNEP-GEF

This study looks at public participation in the development of National Biosafety Frameworks (NBFs). We make the following key observations: Public participation in the development of an NBF goes beyond the creation of an NBF document. It inevitably encompasses wider issues about the role of biotechnology, and requires ongoing participation in biosafety processes after regulations have been developed. Despite the fact that Parties face common challenges, there can be no universal prescription or standard formula for public participation and awareness-raising. What works in some places or in some circumstances will not work everywhere. Governments have two roles. The first is to initiate participatory and awareness-raising activities. The second is to create an enabling environment for others – civil society and business – to take the initiative. National biosafety processes involve development of a framework, implementation and monitoring. Currently, participatory efforts are not balanced across these stages. To date, much more education and awareness-raising work is being undertaken than public participation and consultation. There are plenty of participatory tools and approaches that have been effectively used in other policy domains, which are currently underused in biosafety processes.