ABSTRACT
The issues concerning the Biosafety Clearing-House and capacity-building were debated in Sub-Working Group 2 in BSWG-4, 5 and also 6, when the working group process was terminated. Sub-Working Group 2’s way of dealing with the Biosafety Clearing-House and capacity-building articles did seem to work for these relatively straightforward topics. Capacity-building for biotechnology regulation took on a special importance for Canada in the negotiations, and remains a high priority. The capacity-building article was completed as Article 22 under the chairmanship of Antigua and Barbuda’s John Ashe in the contact group dealing with financial issues, after a failed attempt to merge it with the financial mechanism article. After the dust has settled, it is gratifying to know of the progress being made through the Global Environment Facility/United Nations Environment Programme capacity-building initiatives and through the growing number of bilateral ones.
