Comparative Study of Biosafety Regulatory Systems in Developed and Developing Countries

Modern biotechnology has been considered as an important factor for social andeconomic developments in many countries. Genetic Engineering is a new field ofmodern biotechnology which enables scientists to produce Genetically ModifiedOrganisms (GMOs) with the objective of improvement of the productivity and thequality characters of crop plants. This new technology has raised a number of questionsand concerns related to the effect of GMOs and its products on environment and humanhealth. Therefore it has been accepted globally that production and use of GMOs shouldbe regulated at both national and international levels. Cartagena protocol on biosafety isthe first international treaty which sets out a comprehensive regulatory system forensuring the safe transfer, handling and use of Living Modified Organisms LMOs thatmay have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversitytaking into account human health. Many developing countries have initiated research onmodern biotechnology more than a decade ago but they did not have a proper regulatorysystem to oversight it. Ratification of the Cartagena protocol by these developingcountries is the start engine of creation of a national biosafety regulatory system. Mostof the developed European countries have had biosafety regulations from the beginningof modern biotechnology but after joining the Cartagena protocol, they have updatedand revised their regulations based on this international treaty. A few developedcountries with strong biotechnology industries have not joined the Cartagena protocolbut they have had national legislations to regulate modern biotechnology. In this paper,biosafety regulatory systems in two developed and two developing countries arecompared.