[www-features] [proposal] Commercial interests win in the MOP3

Mon Mar 20 09:23:36 PST 2006

Hi everyone
I would like to propose this for a feature on indy.org
it's already featured on Brasil IMC and Biotech IMC

http://www.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348610.shtml
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2006/03/4960.shtml

html version at the bottom

ciao
pina
----------------------------------

After a week marked by the deadlock of labelling GMO loads, the Cartagen
Protocol parties' conference (MOP3) reached a consensus through the
proposal of "contains GMOs". The agreement was achieved with the inclusion
of an addendum proposed by Mexico, who was blocking the negotiations
together with New Zealand and other countries. The result can be
considered as a victory by the biotechnology transnationals, seen that the
time defined to regulate it was extended from four to six years, and the
obligatory identification of GMO exports and imports on the market between
members (those who adopted the Protocol) and those non-members (those who
haven't adopted the Protocol) was eliminated. This way the final document
allows GMO importations from non-signatory countries of the Protocol, such
as the USA. The USA, despite his non-ratification of the protocol, has
sent a strong delegation to create a lobby of his interests.

Until 2012 the identification of GMO or conventional loads will depend on
the technical capacity of each country. Altogether, the global community
will have to wait six years to know accurately what circulates through the
national frontiers. According to the protocol, nations that don't have the
capacity to do so, will receive assistance to implement the labeling rules
until the stipulated time. To Greenpeace, "the responsibility of the
MOP3's small advance devolves mostly on the biotechnology multinationals,
agrobusiness and the GMO exporting countries, such as Canada, USA and
Argentina, which once more were able to turn an UN environmental
conference into a space of pure commercial interests".

The failure of the MOP3 served as a preliminary of what is going to be the
8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CDB COP8), which will also be held in Curitiba, on March 20-31. The CDB
tends to make international coordination efforts to preserve and carry on
the planet's biodiversity. CDB and COP8's most polemic issues will be:
distribution of benefits derived from the use of genetic resources; the
terminator seed moratory; biodiversity's preservation and use and the
implementation of Working Programs of Protected Areas, Forests, Coastal
and Marine Biodiversity inside the fixed time (2010 to forests and 2012 to
marine and coastal areas).

While the biotechnology transnationals get to impose their interests,
approximately a thousand Via Campesina's farmers continues to occupied the
Syngenta Seeds' GMO experimental camp, in Santa Teresa do Oeste, PR. The
camp is illegal, because it's on a damping zone of the Iguaçú Park, where
the plantation of GMOs is not allowed. However, the a local judge (from
the city of Cascavel), Fabrício Priotto Mussi, conceded a threshold of
eviction favorable to Syngenta Seeds, ordering the evacuation of the land
in five days. The judge fixed a daily fine of R$100,00 to each member of
the occupation in case the court order doesn't get complied on the settled
deadline. Although, the farmers decided to remain there until the federal
government shuts down all the corporation's activities.

[READ MORE]: Agreement with Mexico allows consense on "contains" |
Terminator, the next battle at Curitiba | Indecision at MOP 3: executive
secretary antecipates impasse between countries | Opening Ritual of
International Indigenous forum | Opening Ritual of International
Indigenous forum II

Older Features:: Three Countries block MOP3 | Brasil defends labelling,
but biosafety is not granted | Expotrade prevents sale of organic meal |
Via Campesina pressures the Brazilian Government at UN conference opening
| Via Campesina's Parallel Convention Takes Shape | Worldwide Convention
will discuss biosafety at Curitiba

Related Links:: http://biotech.indymedia.org | http://www.cop8.org.br |
http://www.iisd.ca | http://www.biodiv.org | http://www.cdb.gov.br |
http://www.fboms.org.br

[html version]

<div align="justify">
<img src="http://brasil.indymedia.org/images/2003/09/264594.jpg"
align="left" hspace="5" border="1">
After a week marked by the deadlock of labelling GMO loads, the
Cartagen Protocol parties' conference (MOP3) reached a consensus
through the proposal of "contains GMOs". The agreement was achieved
with the inclusion of an addendum proposed by Mexico, who was blocking
the negotiations together with New Zealand and other countries. The
result can be considered as a victory by the biotechnology
transnationals, seen that the time defined to regulate it was extended
from four to six years, and the obligatory identification of GMO
exports and imports on the market between members (those who adopted
the Protocol) and those non-members (those who haven't adopted the
Protocol) was eliminated. This way the final document allows GMO
importations from non-signatory countries of the Protocol, such as the
USA. The USA, despite his non-ratification of the protocol, has sent a
strong delegation to create a lobby of his interests.

Until 2012 the identification of GMO or conventional loads will depend
on the technical capacity of each country. Altogether, the global
community will have to wait six years to know accurately what
circulates through the national frontiers. According to the protocol,
nations that don't have the capacity to do so, will receive assistance to
implement
the labeling rules until the stipulated time. To Greenpeace, "the
responsibility of the MOP3's small advance devolves mostly on the
biotechnology multinationals, agrobusiness and the GMO exporting
countries, such as Canada, USA and Argentina, which once more were able to
turn an UN environmental conference into a space of pure commercial
interests".

The failure of the MOP3 served as a preliminary of what is going to be
the 8th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CDB COP8), which will also be held in Curitiba, on March
20-31. The CDB tends to make international coordination efforts to
preserve and carry on the planet's biodiversity.
CDB and COP8's most polemic issues will be: distribution of benefits
derived from the use of genetic resources; the terminator seed
moratory; biodiversity's preservation and use and the implementation
of Working Programs of Protected Areas, Forests, Coastal and Marine
Biodiversity inside the fixed time (2010 to forests and 2012 to marine
and coastal areas).

While the biotechnology transnationals get to impose their interests,
approximately a thousand Via Campesina's farmers continues to occupied the
Syngenta Seeds' GMO experimental camp, in Santa Teresa do Oeste, PR.
The camp is illegal, because it's on a damping zone of the Iguaçú
Park, where the plantation of GMOs is not allowed. However, the a local
judge (from the city of Cascavel), Fabrício Priotto Mussi, conceded a
threshold of eviction favorable to Syngenta Seeds, ordering the evacuation
of the land in five days. The judge fixed a daily fine of
R$100,00 to each member of the occupation in case the court order
doesn't get complied on the settled deadline. Although, the farmers
decided to remain there until the federal government shuts down all the
corporation's activities.

<p><b>[READ MORE]:</b> <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348436.shtml">Agreement
with Mexico allows consense on "contains"</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348360.shtml">Terminator,
the next battle at Curitiba</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348354.shtml">Indecision
at MOP 3: executive secretary antecipates impasse between countries</a> |
<a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348333.shtml">Opening
Ritual of International Indigenous forum</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348355.shtml">Opening
Ritual of International Indigenous forum II</a></p>

<p><b>Older Editorials::</b> <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348299.shtml"> Three
Countries block MOP3</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/347978.shtml">Brasil
defends labelling, but biosafety is not granted</a> | <a
href="http://www.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/348172.shtml">Expotrade
prevents sale of organic meal</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/347807.shtml">Via
Campesina pressures the Brazilian Government at UN conference opening</a>
| <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/03/346761.shtml">Via
Campesina's Parallel Convention Takes Shape</a> | <a
href="http://midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2006/02/344636.shtml">Worldwide
Convention will discuss biosafety at Curitiba</a></p>

<p><b>Related Links::</b> <a
href="http://biotech.indymedia.org/">http://biotech.indymedia.org</a> | <a
href="http://www.cop8.org.br/">http://www.cop8.org.br</a> | <a
href="http://www.iisd.ca/">http://www.iisd.ca</a> | <a
href="http://www.biodiv.org/">http://www.biodiv.org</a> | <a
href="http://www.cdb.gov.br">http://www.cdb.gov.br</a> | <a
href="http://www.fboms.org.br/">http://www.fboms.org.br</a></p>
</div>