Webinar on hot button issues at CBD SBSTTA meetings in Nairobi Synthetic biology, artifical intelligence, risk assessment of gene drives


Invitation

Webinar on hot button issues at CBD SBSTTA meetings in Nairobi: Synthetic biology, artifical intelligence, risk assessment of gene drives

Date:               Wednesday 4th September 2024 at 15:00 CEST
Presenters:     Ricarda Steinbrecher and Angelika Hilbeck – ENSSER Board members
Registration:   https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-lSMU7n-SEKB4LTvclr0Kw

In May this year, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met in Nairobi for their 26th meeting of the SBSTTA (Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice) from 13-18 May and following that, the 4th SBI (Subsidiary Body on Implementation of the Convention) from 21-29 May. ENSSER board members Ricarda Steinbrecher and Angelika Hilbeck participated in both meetings and will report in this webinar about the most disputed issues of the SBSTTA negotiations.

One of the SBSTTA agenda items was  Synthetic Biology. In 2018, Parties agreed (COP Decision 14/19) that broad and regular horizon scanning, monitoring and assessing of the most recent technological developments in synthetic biology is needed. Subsequently – in 2022 – parties initiated such a process (COP Decision 15/31). A multidisciplinary Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (mAHTEG) was also established by the same decision, to devise a process, carry out a first round of horizon scanning, monitoring and assessment in 2023-2024 and report back to SBSTTA – which it did. SBSTTA had to come up with recommendations for the COP on how to proceed with ‘horizon scanning, monitoring and assessing’ synthetic biology developments

The negotiations ran into major road blocks and much of the recommendation text referred to the COP is heavily ‘bracketed’ (= provisional, i.e. no agreements reached). The conflict lines were along countries growing and exporting GMOs (incl. Brazil, Argentina, Australia) but not only these. Also New Zealand, the UK and occasionally others joined their ranks. These countries tried to stop the on-going regular horizon scanning, monitoring and assessment process. The mAHTEG carried out this work for one round only as of now, but other parties sought to extend the mandate or, ideally, make it even a regular process.

In this webinar, we will explain the conflict lines and the controversial topics on the table, such as capacity building, gene drives and risk assessment, AI for synthetic biology, self-spreading vaccines and self-limiting insects. We will also discuss our upcoming participation at the COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, including two side events (yet to be approved by the CBD depending on available space).