Biosecurity is one of the issues mentioned in the Convention on Biological Diversity. This concept refers to the need to protect human health and the environment from possible negative effects of products of modern biotechnology. At the same time, modern biotechnology is also recognized as having great potential for developing human life, especially meeting essential needs for food, agriculture and health.
At the second meeting held in November 1995, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention established an expanded Ad-hoc Working Group on Biosafety to develop a draft Biosafety Protocol. , focuses primarily on the transboundary transport of living organisms modified by modern biotechnology, which can negatively impact the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. After several years of negotiations, this Protocol, known as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety under the Convention on Biological Diversity, was finalized and adopted in Montreal on January 29, 2000 at a meeting especially of the Parties to the Convention.
Recognizing the importance of the Cartagena Protocol, on January 19, 2004, the Government of Vietnam ratified and became an official member of the Protocol from April 19, 2004. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is assigned by the Government to be the national focal point for this Protocol. After becoming a member of the Protocol, Vietnam needs to fulfill its obligations according to the committed regulations, which includes providing information to the Biosafety Information Portal (BCH: Biosafety Clearing House) (as stipulated in article 20 of this Protocol).
On June 21, 2010, the Government issued Decree No. 69/2010/ND-CP on biosafety for genetically modified organisms, genetic specimens and products of genetically modified organisms. Article 46 stipulates: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment uniformly manages the database on genetically modified organisms; Maintains the Electronic Information Portal on biosafety for genetically modified organisms. Ministries managing sectors and fields and provincial People’s Committees manage the database on genetically modified organisms according to their management fields or in their management areas and are responsible for providing and exchanging information, data on genetically modified organisms with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; On August 22, 2012, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment issued Circular No. 09/2012/TT-BTNMT regulating the provision and exchange of information and data on genetically modified organisms.