ROUND TABLE ON THE ETHICAL USE OF GMOs AN OVERVIEW

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ROUND TABLE ON THE ETHICAL USE OF GMOs An
Overview
Banpot Napompeth National Biological Control
Research Center Kasetsart University Bangkok,
Thailand
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QUESTIONS (No body dares to ask) ANSWERS

• Q. Isnt it already unethical to talk and
  discuss about ethics, be it an unethicality
  of a scientist himself, or overall ethics in
  science and technology?
• A. No answer.
• Q. Is it also unethical to have your mobile
  phone on with ringing tone while you are in the
  meeting room?
• A. It is merely not being considerate, or it
  is very annoying
• to other people.

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GOOD GOVERNANCE INSTRUMENTS FOR GMOs

• International
• - Convention on biological Diversity
  (CBD) (1993)
• - Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the
  CBD (2003)
• - Aarhus Convention on Justice, Access
  to Information
• and Public Participation in
  Decision-making Related to
• Environmental Matters (GMOs included)
• - EU Guidelines on Coexistence of
  Conventional
• Agriculture, Organic Farming and
  Genetically Modified
• Crops (2004)

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GOOD GOVERNANCE INSTRUMENTS FOR GMOs(Contd.)

• Regional Agreements, Harmonization, etc.
• Multilateral or Bilateral Agreements, etc.
• National Regulations
• Institutional Regulations

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ROUND TABLE vs HEXAGONAL TABLE

• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was adopted
  in Montreal January 2000 by using the so-called
  Vienna Setting of negotiation or the Hexagonal
  Table consisting of five (5) negotiating groups
  and one (1) chair.

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SOME KEY CRITICAL CONCERNS ISSUES ON GMOs

• Safety of GM Crops and GMO-FFPs or LMO-FFPs
• Environmental Impact
• Unnatural Status of modern biotechnology or
  genetic engineering
• Risk assessment methods
• GMOs as biologically hazardous materials?
• GMOs as politically hazardous issues?