A legally binding protocol on biosafety has been on the international agenda since the early 90s. From February 14-23, the adoption of an agreement was discussed in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. As before, the talks stalled over a number of issues.
Governments still disagree over the proposed scope of the treaty's regulatory powers.
Some want to restrict the definiton of LMO to organisms intended for introduction into the environment. Others argue for a broader definition that would include agricultural commodities and products of LMOs. There is also major concern about the fact that developing countries lack the technical, financial and institutional means to address biosafety. Yet another unresolved question relates to the protocol's relationship to the World Trade Organization and its various subsidiary agreements. When eventually adopted, the biosafety agreement is to form a protocol under the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity which was signed at the Rio Earth Summit.