News
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has launched a peer review process for a draft thematic action plan on synthetic biology, inviting input from Parties, governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
The draft action plan responds to decision 16/21 of the Conference of the Parties, which called for the development of a framework to support capacity-building and development, access to and transfer of technology and knowledge-sharing in the context of synthetic biology. The plan is intended to support implementation of the three objectives of the Convention and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in line with the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building and development adopted under decision 15/8.
Prepared by the Secretariat with technical support from the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the National Academy of Belarus, the draft builds on submissions received through an earlier information call and draws on materials available via the Biosafety Clearing-House.
Stakeholders are invited to review the unedited draft thematic action plan and submit comments using a dedicated template provided on the CBD website. In addition to textual feedback, contributors are encouraged to propose potential indicators linked to the plan’s expected outputs. Only submissions made using the prescribed template will be considered.
All peer review submissions must be uploaded through the Biosafety Clearing-House using the common Submission format and should include an endorsement letter from the relevant CBD National Focal Point or head of organization, as appropriate. The deadline for submissions is 26 January 2026.
The outcomes of the peer review will inform further refinement of the action plan ahead of consideration by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice.
Further information and access to the draft thematic action plan are available here: https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2025/ntf-2025-149-synthetic-en.pdf
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