Background

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety seeks to protect biodiversity from the potential hazards created by the use and dissemination of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) – more often referred to as “Genetically Modified Organisms” (GMOs) – while taking into account human health (including food safety) and socio-economic considerations. Implementation of biosafety regulation is therefore the focus of many countries to establish such safeguards. However, the process of implementing the Protocol has unveiled a limited capacity for a science-based hazard identification necessary to perform risk assessments, and a holistic understanding of the policy, legal, regulatory, ethical, economic and social dimensions, needed for decision making. Since 2003 GenØk has offered a broad introductory course on hazard identification and risk assessment to fill the capacity gap. In 2009, we held the first specialist course, designed to cover emerging issues in greater detail.

About the course

The 2011 specialist course will give special training in three new classes of GMOs that are about to enter the regulatory systems of many countries: abiotic stress tolerant GM crops, GM insects and GM vaccines. The mechanisms, potential benefits, and risk pathways associated with these new bioinnovations differ strikingly in many ways compared to today’s more common GMOs (e.g. herbicide resistant or insecticidal crops).
The course aims to give participants balanced information and an introduction to the tools required to evaluate these new technologies, from their own perspective and for their country’s needs.

The curriculum includes sections on:

• biological and ecological mechanisms
• legal frameworks
• social and ethical issues
• environmental and health issues
• risk assessment procedures, and
• decision-making processes.

A combination of plenary lectures and interactive sessions, with support from the Biosafety Assessment Tool, will form the basis of the course. Participants will also attend the open conference, “Tough Choices – new biosafety decisions in high stakes arenas” following the course (22-24 August).

Registration

The 40 sponsored places for ODA-countries have now been filled.

Course participation - self financed participants
GenØk offers 15 places available to participants from all countries that are able to secure their own sponsorship/funding. Previous participation in GenØk courses is not required, but candidates should have extensive experience from biosafety work to take full advantage of the material covered in this course.

The course/conference fee of USD 700 includes curricular materials, lunch (5 days), opening ceremony and local transport. In addition, self-financing participants will also have to pay for their travel and accommodation (course/conference hotel NOK 1195/night (approx. USD 170) incl. breakfast and dinner buffet). A list of alternative accommodation can be provided.

Course + conference - self-financed participants
GenØk offers 15 places available to participants from all countries that are able to secure their own sponsorship/funding. Previous participation in GenØk courses is not required, but candidates should have extensive experience from biosafety work to take full advantage of the material covered in this course.

The course/conference fee of USD 1200 includes curricular materials, lunch (8 days), opening/farewell ceremony, conference fee, and local transport. In addition, self-financing participants will also have to pay for their travel and accommodation (course/conference hotel NOK 1195/night (approx. USD 170) incl. breakfast and dinner buffet). A list of alternative accommodation can be provided. 

Registration of self-financed participants should be submitted no later than 12 June 2011. The places are allocated on a first-come–first-served basis. Participants must be prepared to pay the course fee when registering.

Download registration form (Word) - self-financed participants


Conference only – self financed participants
The conference is open to all. For more information and registration see the conference website.

Funding from the Norwegian Government (NORAD) makes this program possible.