DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000153 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (PARA 1 AND 2) SENSITIVE SIPDIS PASS TO USDA/FAS (SFROGGETT) DEPT FOR OES (DWOOD) DEPT FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT (MSZYMANSKI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON ETRD TBIO KPAO CG SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY REF: STATE 11910 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to GDRC Ministry of Agriculture Secretary General Ali Ramazani Hubert on February 12, sharing USG concerns with liability and redress issues of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Ramazani did not know if there will be a delegation from the DRC at the February 23 meetings in Mexico City, but agreed that any such delegation should represent the GDRC's official position on living modified organisms (LMO). He promised to find out who might attend and to pass that information to Econoff. ¶2. (SBU) Ramazani said the Ministry of Agriculture usually follows the recommendations and guidance of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concerning LMOs. Following an FAO-sponsored workshop in February 2007, the FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture recommended passing legislation to clarify the GDRC position on biotechnology, biosafety, and the use of LMOs. Ramazani said the GDRC ratified the Cartagena Protocol in 2007, but further supporting legislation has not yet passed through Parliament. He said the DRC currently permits the import of LMOs only for research purposes. Ramazani said increasing food security in the DRC will remain a priority for the GDRC, and that he personally thinks biotechnology and LMOs "are the future." GARVELINK