Building Legal and Institutional Capacity on Biosafety in Chile

This 13-month project was funded by the UK government's Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species. FIELD's project partner was the Chilean Centro de Derecho Ambiental (Environmental Law Centre) of the University of Chile. Project objectives were to raise awareness of biosafety issues and to build the Centre's institutional capacity to contribute to the development of a national regulatory framework on biosafety within Chile. The project has produced research papers on the current legal and institutional situation in Chile regarding biosafety, as well as on existing regional and international laws on biosafety. These papers were presented at a seminar held in Chile on 19-21 March 2002 hosted by the Centro de Derecho Ambiental (CDA) of the University of Chile, in Santiago.

The seminar was attended by over 60 participants including policy makers, NGOs, legal experts, academics, scientists and the private sector. The focus of the seminar was to initiate the debate in Chile about the international context on biosafety and possible elements of a future national framework in Chile. The seminar combined presentations and debate on Chile's current legal and institutional system addressing biosafety, as well as on the status of the country's biodiversity and the use of biotechnology in Chile.

Case studies were presented to illustrate the biosafety legal regimes of other countries and regions, such as Cuba, the EU, Brazil, New Zealand and Argentina. The seminar participants took an active part in all the discussions and determined the meeting's conclusions after engaging in a working groups' session on the last day of the seminar. The 10 recommendations of the meeting include the need to establish a national policy and legal framework that overcomes the current fragmented approach to biosafety in Chile. The participants stressed that a national legislative debate on biosafety must be given high priority and involve all interested stakeholders.

For more information…

Seminar Agenda (in Spanish)

Report of the Seminar

Annex 2 of the Seminar Report - List of Participants

Draft Research Papers (in Spanish and English):

Research Paper on the Legal and Institutional Framework on Biosafety in Chile

Five updated case studies of comparative law:

For Centro Derecho Ambiental's Final Recommendations Paper in Spanish, or in English

Darwin Initiative Homepage

Project Partners Centro de Derecho Ambiental (Environmental Law Centre) Chile

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