Development of National Biosafety Framework for Barbados

(i)   GEF Trust Fund - US$ 135,000.00
(ii)   Government of Barbados (cash and in kind contributions) - US$ 183,530.48

In November 2000 the 16th Council of the GEF approved the UNEP/GEF global project entitled "Development of National Biosafety Frameworks (NBFs)" to assist countries in establishing a framework for the management of living modified organisms to effectively achieve the objectives of the Cartagena Protocol.
Barbados National Project component commenced in July 2003 and concluded with the preparation of the Draft NBF in November 2005.
The country's process in developing the Draft NBF consisted of the following four steps:
(i) A stocktaking exercise to collect information and data on the current status of biosafety and biotechnology within the country, including human and institutional resources.
(ii) Analysis of the data and information with participation by all stakeholders.
(iii) Further analysis and processing of information to determine priorities for the NBF.
(iv) Preparation of the NBF through a consultative process.
This approach was adopted to facilitate the engagement of relevant stakeholders to ensure that the final product truly reflects national needs and priorities.

National level activities
(i)   Development of national biosafety framework
(ii)   Institutional strengthening

Goals
The overall goal of the project was to define the structure of a National Biosafety Framework for Barbados

Objectives
The objective of the project was to prepare Barbados for the entry into force of the Protocol by, assisting with the investigation and institutional development processes necessary for compliance with the provisions of the Protocol.

Main outcomes
(i)  The definition of a national administrative and regulatory framework for the management of LMOs.
(ii)  Strengthened institutional capacities to manage Biosafety issues.

Lessons learned
Some lessons emerging from the project include:
(i) Stakeholder and public participation in project implementation can be quite unpredictable and may affect delivery of the project output in the projected timeframe.
(ii)  Continuous discussions with key stakeholders who are expected to feature in the administration and regulation of national Biosafety issues over the long-term were essential to arrive at a common decision on the preferred structure of the proposed NBF.
(iii) Close coordination with ongoing and planned activities that seek to develop and/or strengthen national capacity in biosafety is essential in order to avoid duplication, overlap and wastage of resources.
(iv)  Given the magnitude of the tasks and the time frame required to build capacity on biosafety, coordination was essential over the duration of the project, and is further projected to be a necessary element to form part of the implementation process for success over the long-term.

Other collaborating organizations
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MAR);University of the West Indies (UWI); Barbados National Standard Institute (BNSI); Attorney General Chambers; International Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA); Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI); and Mount Gay Rum Distillery