Enabling the safe use of biotechnology: principles and practice

Abstract

This publication describes the enabling environment required in developing countries to acquire powerful new tools in biotechnology and to assess their potential usefulness. It is designed to provide a practical guide for policymakers and research managers who are responsible for: (i) making decisions on ensuring the safe use of modern biotechnology in producing new products in medicine, agriculture, and the environment, and (ii) promoting environmentally sustainable development. This document reviews the current trends in biotechnology and identifies areas in which new developments are likely to contribute to environmentally sustainable development. It outlines the enabling environment, including the national regulatory framework, necessary to ensure safe use of biotechnology without endangering public health or the environment. It describes risk assessment procedures to identify possible risks in research and development, and illustrates risk management procedures and possible models for the contained experimental use and planned introduction of organisms with novel traits and other products. This publication also summarizes the international context in which national biosafety systems are developed.