Abstract:

Uganda already has a National Biotechnology and Biosafety Policy (2008). A law is needed to guide implementation of this policy and is currently being debated in Parliament. The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MFPED) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) are responsible for this bill process. Modern biotechnology is regulated by all countries using the technology. Uganda is a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, an international agreement which aims to ensure safe handling, transport and use of products of modern biotechnology. All parties to the protocol, including Uganda, are required to take appropriate legal, administrative and other measures at national level to implement their obligations under the Protocol. The National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill 2012 is one important step to comply with international obligations, as well as ensure responsible use of the technology in Uganda.