A top-ranking regional officer for Syngenta, the agrochemical and seed giant, is part of the official delegation of the Philipines in the MOP, the First Meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

How many other delegations contain corporate stooges? Rumours were rife about contracts being offered to members of certain delegations.

More below among the excellent links and resources
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Cartagena Protocol on Biodiversity
Update No.4
26.02.04

Below are titles and/or short introductions of articles, reports and statements from the Convention on Biological Diversity appearing on the Biotechnology Independent Media Centre and the Friends of the Earth International websites.

Go to the link below the summary or title and you  will access the full text, report, photos or video.

In the below you find many, but not all the materials that have been created or collected in the  past week. There is also the daily diary update from Friends of the Earth  campaigner Isaac Rojas, as well as links to the ECO, the daily NGO newspaper  during the meetings.

If needed all texts can be supplied as Word documents, and if you would like previous updates we can send them.

Use the material as you please, and we welcome any comments.  We can be reached on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phoning  +60(0)193951436

1) Short Introduction to the Biosafety Protocol. http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2635.shtml

2) NGO Statement: Day 1 (23.02.2004) http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2611.shtml

3) Seattle - The Breaking Point for the Biosafety Protocol.  Extract from the brochure "The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: A history" describing the major positive effects that the WTO protests in Seattle had on finally getting the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol. Written by the former Minister of Environment of Colombia (1998-2002)  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2603.shtml

4) What is Syngenta doing in the Phillipine Delegation?  A top-ranking regional officer fo Syngenta, the agrochemical and seed giant, is part of the official delegation of the Philipines in the MOP, the First Meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Bisafety.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2638.shtml

5) This may contain GMOs....  The USA, Canada and Mexico made a trilateral agreement on the labelling of GMOs that sounds like a joke, but meant seriously. Regarding the the transboundary movement of GMOs for food, feed and processing (LMO-FFPs), they agreed on documentation to label GMO shipments with a "may contain" statement that does not include any information which GMO it is. No labelling whatsoever is needed if the GMO content is less then 5%, or for any unintended GM-contamination, no matter how high that is.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2646.shtml

6) Labelling according to USA and Canada.  Documentation of text used the trilateral agreement between USA, Canda and Mexico in a model agreement for the implementation of Article 18.2(a) on the transbaoundary movement of living modified organisms intended for food, feed, and processing (LMO-FFPs).  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2647.shtml

7) New Dangers of Genetically Modified Food Discovered.

* Inhaled GM maize pollen may cause disease

* GM food promoter transfers to rat cells

* GM vaccines recombine into unpredictable hybrid viruses in human and animal cells  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2649.shtml

8) Daily Journal for the Biosafety Protocol  A different journal to the normal one given to conference participants was handed out today.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2657.shtml

Videos and Photos

1) Dutch State Secretary for the Environment on CBD and ABS.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2612.shtml

2) Dutch State Secretary for the Environment on CBD and implementation.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2614.shtml

3) Dutch State Secretary for the Environment on Biotechnology.  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2616.shtml

4) Make Polluters Pay - Action Pictures  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2618.shtml

5) Make Polluters Pay - Interviews from the action  http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2004/02/2632.shtml

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