What is Indonesia biosafety Clearing House?
Biosafety is one of the important issues discussed intensively during the Convention on Biosafety. In December 1999, in Montreal, Canada, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety wa agreed to accommodate issues on biosafety. Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House was established as one of the requirements as Indonesia has ratified the Protocols.
Biosafety clearing house is one of the requirements to be implemented for countries ratifying the Cartagena Protocols on Biosafety to the Convention on Biodiversity, in accordance with article 20 of the Protocol. Indonesia has ratified the Protocol and has issued Government Regulation No.21, 2004 on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Establishment of BCH Indonesia
In the meeting of the taskforce on biosafety organized by the Ministry of Environment and the meeting on the cartagena protocol organized by an NGO, Yayasan KEHATI, The Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), which is a neutral scientific and research institution, was proposed as the appointed host for the Indonesia Biosafety Clearing House. In response to the proposal, the Ministry of Environment sent a letter to Head of LIPI (No. B-246/MENLH/2/2001, dated 16 February 2001) requesting for an establishment of a unit of Biosafety Clearing House. LIPI responded by appointing the Research Center for Biotechnology to host the Indonesian Biosafety Clearing House (No.161/K/KS/2001).
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