SEARICE statement for 6th COP-Meeting of Parties to the Protocol

BAN GMOs WORLWIDE TILL RISK ASSESSMENTS INCLUDE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS FARMERS’ RIGHTS AND FOOD SECURITY

SEARICE CALLS ON ALL PARTICIPANTS TO THE COP MOP 6 TO IMPOSE A MORATORIUM ON GMO RELEASE WORLDWIDE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

1. Risk Assessments do not include socio-economic considerations such as farmers’ rights and food security;

2. Monitoring and assessment mechanisms are not in place to evaluate impacts of GMOs, most especially to smallholder men and women farmers/ food producers;

3. Unintentional transfer of LMOs continue unabated or are not discovered especially in developing countries;

4. Liability and redress mechanisms are not in place, especially in developing countries; and

5. Developing countries lack capacity in including socio-economic considerations in risk assessments, monitoring and reporting, determining unintentional transfer, and in installing liability and redress mechanisms.

Governments in 1996 during the World Food Summit committed to halve world hunger in 2015. This is the same goal in Target 3 of the MDGs. Recently, the G8 Summit in 2012 committed to eradicate world food hunger. [Ends]