Multi-year Programme of Work (Annex to BS-II/2)

Programme elements

1. Programme element 1: Structure and function of the central portal
2. Programme element 2: Information content and management
3. Programme element 3: Sharing information on and experience with LMOs
4. Programme element 4: Capacity-building and non-Internet accessibility
5. Programme element 5: Review of activities

• Expand the general user base of the Biosafety Clearing-House by making it more accessible to novice users, for example by making the information more intuitively easy to find (while maintaining as much of the existing structure as is feasible), clustering search results, improving support functions such as an interactive Biosafety Clearing House user guide. Main actor: Secretariat, with input from Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: ongoing.
• Ensure that common formats are flexible enough to enable full reporting of information (for example, able to accommodate reporting of data produced prior to entry into force of the Protocol, such as risk assessments conducted outside the annex III format; able to accommodate data reported through product-based regulatory models), while maintaining backwards compatibility with existing information-exchange partners. Main actor: Secretariat, with input from Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: annual review of common formats.
• Expand controlled vocabularies as required to reflect changing technologies and types of information that are being reported to the Biosafety Clearing-House. Main actor: Secretariat, with input from other organizations maintaining multilingual thesauri. Timeframe: annual.
• Differentiate between null responses where information is not available because it does not exist, versus information that has not been reported on. Main actor: Secretariat, with input from Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Maintain support for interoperability options with partner Governments and organizations. Main actor: Secretariat with input from Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: ongoing.

• Appoint national focal points (or, where appropriate, institutional focal points) for the Biosafety Clearing-House, to actively make information available through the Biosafety Clearing-House. Main actor: Governments. Timeframe: To be appointed by mid-2005.
• Collate information relating to obligations of Governments to provide certain data within particular time-limits and make this more visible through the Biosafety Clearing-House. Main actor: Secretariat. Timeframe: To be made available by mid-2005.
• Compile existing biosafety information required to be reported under the Protocol (see section A of the Modalities of Operation of the Biosafety Clearing-House) and ensure it has been made available to the Biosafety Clearing-House where appropriate. Main actor: Governments. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Review existing information in the Biosafety Clearing-House to ensure it has been accurately reported and categorized. Main actor: Governments. Timeframe: quarterly.
• Improve user documentation to assist focal points and other authorized users by providing clear examples and descriptions of data required in each field within the common formats. Main actor: Secretariat, in collaboration with capacity-building organizations. Timeframe: as appropriate.
• Identify constraints on making information available in a timely manner and implement strategies to overcome these difficulties. Main actor: Governments. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Share experiences with the use of the Biosafety Clearing-House, particularly by providing case-studies of experiences with national management and clearance of information ("validation"). Main actor: Governments. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Continue to encourage Governments to provide information to the Biosafety Clearing-House through, for example, reminders of information-exchange requirements and provision of tools to allow Governments to assess their performance in meeting their reporting requirements to the Biosafety Clearing-House. Main actor: Secretariat. Timeframe: ongoing.

• Continue to develop the Biosafety Information Resource Centre. Main actor: Secretariat. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Collect information relevant to biosafety issues, and make it available through the Biosafety Information Resource Centre. Main actor: Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: biannual.
• Make use of information-sharing mechanisms such as discussion forums and online conference facilities through the Biosafety Clearing-House to facilitate a broad exchange of views on experience with LMOs. Main actor: Secretariat with Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: as appropriate.
• Consult among national, regional, subregional and institutional centres with relevant expertise, as well as non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to maximize use of existing experience and expertise. Main actor: Secretariat with relevant organizations. Timeframe: Initial consultations to be completed by June 2006.

• Continue to take into account the identified capacity-building constraints and financial limitations of developing countries with regard to effective participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House, placing a high priority on data collection and data management, strengthening of core human resources at a national level, and the establishment of appropriate infrastructure to share information at national, regional and international levels. Main actor: Donor governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: ongoing.
• Examine the feasibility of expanding existing web features to enable distribution by e-mail and fax (for example, participation in discussion forums). Main actor: Secretariat, if adequate resources are made available. Timeframe: December 2005.
• Circulate regularly updated CD-ROM versions of information in the Biosafety Clearing-House to those users without good access to the Internet. Main actor: Secretariat, if adequate resources are made available. Timeframe: biannual.
• Take advantage of opportunities for providing training in the use of the Biosafety Clearing-House, such as meetings of the Parties to the Protocol, taking into account the need for the Biosafety Clearing-House to be used in the broader context of Protocol implementation. Main actor: Secretariat, if adequate resources are made available. Timeframe: ongoing.

• Continue to review the operation of the Biosafety Clearing-House, including through the use of targeted follow-up surveys and usability studies, and by providing user feedback mechanisms directly on the Biosafety Clearing House, subject to available resources. Main actor: Secretariat with input from Governments and relevant organizations. Timeframe: ongoing.
• Conduct a second review of the Biosafety Clearing-House, and compare improvements against existing baseline data, as part of the review of the implementation of the Protocol envisaged in the medium-term programme of work for the Protocol. Timeframe: for consideration at the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol