Operationalizing the Voluntary Guidance for Gene Drive Risk Assessment

The focus shifts to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) this month, where the City of Panama will host scientists, policy makers, government officials and experts in biological diversity to two intergovernmental meetings from October 20-30.

The meetings are

• SBSTTA – 27: The 27^th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technical Advice, October 20-24, 2025
• SB8J-1: First meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

Key issues on the agenda:

The meeting will address global review of the progress since the Framework’s adoption at COP 15 in December 2022 in Montreal.

One key meeting that will take place is a session to highlight Gene Drive Risk Assessment. The conversation on “Operationalizing the Voluntary Guidance for Gene Drive Risk Assessment” will be held in partnership with the Gene Convene Global Collaborative on Tuesday, October 21. The session will present new voluntary guidance materials for assessing living modified organisms with engineered gene drives under the Cartagena Protocol.

The session will be moderated by Dr. Willy Tonui, the chairman and Executive Director of the Environmental Health Safety (EHS Consultancy Ltd). Other participants in the session include Werner Schenkel from the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety.

Fredros Okumu from the Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania will present on “Ethics, Public Participation and Regional Coordination”, while Hamidou Maiga from Burkina Faso, will focus on: “Experience with Designing Monitoring Systems for insect control in African Countries.”

Other speakers who will grace the session include Fortunate Muyambi, Deputy Executive Secretary, East African Science and Technology Commission. (EASTECO) and Lilian Chimphepo, Cartagena Protocol, NFP, Environmental Affairs Malawi.