African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE)

The African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) is a continent-wide Africa-based initiative established by the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology under the African Biosciences Initiative (ABI) to provide expertise and networking facilities for biotechnology and biosafety. Establishment of ABNE is a contribution to Recommendation 14 as outline in the AU/NEPAD document, Freedom to Innovate, "The African Union Secretariat and NEPAD need to build further capacity in biotechnology regulation". In addition to this recommendation, the Conference of African Union Ministers of Agriculture held in Gabon, 2006 took an African Position on GMOs in Agriculture also recommended the need for capacity building for biosafety and biotechnology.

Goals
The African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) is a continent-wide Africa-based initiative established by the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology under the African Biosciences Initiative (ABI) to provide expertise and networking facilities for biotechnology and biosafety. Establishment of ABNE is a contribution to Recommendation 14 as outline in the AU/NEPAD document, Freedom to Innovate, "The African Union Secretariat and NEPAD need to build further capacity in biotechnology regulation". In addition to this recommendation, the Conference of African Union Ministers of Agriculture held in Gabon, 2006 took an African Position on GMOs in Agriculture also recommended the need for capacity building for biosafety and biotechnology.