India to ratify protocol to promote innovation in agriculture, healthcare

NEW DELHI: India will ratify a new supplementary protocol which promotes innovation in agricultural and healthcare research and development that is safe for the environment and human beings.

The Union Cabinet at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for ratification by India of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur supplementary protocol on liability and redress to the Cartagena protocol on bio-safety.

The new supplementary protocol provides international rules and procedure on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity resulting from living modified organisms (LMO).

An official release said the proposed approach provides for an international regulatory framework in the field of liability and redress related to living modified organisms LMO that reconciles trade and environment protection.

The supplementary protocol would promote sound application of biotechnology making it possible to accrue benefits arising from modern biotechnology while minimising the risk to the environment and human health.

"The proposal will protect the interests of all Indians without distinction or differentiation," it said.

The proposal is based on the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, both internationally negotiated and binding legal instruments.

The objective of the supplementary protocol is to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health, by providing international rules and procedures in the field of liability and redress relating to living modified organisms.