The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted on 29 January 2000 a supplementary agreement to the Convention, known as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The objective of this Protocol is "to contribute to ensuring an adequate level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects ont he conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, and specifically focusing on transboundary movements". Following the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in January 200, the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) adopted in November 2000 the GEF Initial Strategy on Biosafety which is aimed at assisting countries to be prepared for the coming into force of the Biosafety Protocol.
