Summaries of the International Regulations and Associated Organisations Relevant to the Governance of Biotechnology

Information on the key international organisations and regulations can be found by clicking on the links in the table below. They are divided into six issue areas:

Arms Control

International Bodies

• Australia Group
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

Treaties and Standards

• Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
• Chemical Weapons Convention
• Draft Convention on the Criminalisation of Chemical and Biological Weapons
• Environmental Modification Convention
• Geneva Protocol

Working Paper I - International Arms Control Agreements of Relevance to the Control of the Biotechnology Revolution

Health and Disease Control

International Bodies

• Food and Agriculture Organisation
• Office International des Epizooties (World Animal Health Organisation)
• World Health Organisation

Treaties and Standards

• WHO Guidance on Regulations for the Transport of Infectious Substances
• WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual
• WHO Laboratory Biosecurity Guidance
• Codex Alimentarius
• International Health Regulations
• International Plant Protection Convention
• Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal Health Codes
• Terrestrial and Aquatic Manuals

Environmental Protection

International Bodies

• Convention on Biodiversity Secretariat

Treaties and Standards

• Aarhus Convention
• Cartagena Biosafety Protocol
• Convention on Biodiversity

Trade

International Bodies

• World Intellectual Property Organisation
• World Trade Organisation

Treaties and Standards

• Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources
• International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants
• Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent
• Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement
• Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement
• Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Agreement
• United Nations Environment Programme International Biosafety Guidelines

Drugs Control

Treaties and Standards

• UN Drug Conventions
• World Anti-Doping Code
• Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport
• International Convention Against Doping in Sport

Social and Ethical Impacts

Treaties and Standards

• Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
• International Declaration on Human Genetic Data
• Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
• United Nations Declaration on Human Cloning