Greenpeace protest at International Biosafety Protocol negotiations in Montreal, 2000.
Greenpeace is working to strengthen the Biosafety Protocol, a
crucialinternational agreement on GE food. Canada is one of the top
fourGE-producing countries in the world, and our government has
notratified the Biosafety Protocol. In addition, Canada actively
attemptsto block progress at international meetings, working with
Argentina,and the US to undermine the agreement. At the most recent
BiosafetyProtocol meeting in Montreal, Greenpeace participated in a
variety ofactions, including:
Supporting key delegates
On May 19, a few days before theBiosafety Protocol meeting was
scheduled to begin in Montreal, Dr.Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher
was denied a visa by the Canadiangovernment. No reason was given
for the refusal. Dr. Tewolde is theofficial negotiator for the G-77
group of developing countries and oneof the top opponents of the
Canadian government's position on GE crops.Greenpeace and other
groups organized letter and fax campaigns to getDr. Tewolde
permission to attend the meeting. Close to a thousand faxeswere
sent by Greenpeace members to key government officials. After aweek
of delay, Dr. Tewolde was allowed into the country to attend
themeetings.
Encouraging public engagment
On Saturday, May 28, over 120people attended Greenpeace's
day-long public forum on GE food andbiosafety. Thirty speakers from
all over the world explained theirconcerns about GE organisms and
their hopes and fears around theBiosafety Protocol. The closing
plenary focussed on GE-free zones andthe experience of the
Philippines, Poland, Europe, Costa-Rica, PrinceEdward Island,
Powell River in British Columbia and California.
Meeting with Canadian delegates
During the conference,Greenpeace GE campaigner, Dr. Eric Darier,
met with the Canadiandelegation and presented a statement
underlining the position ofGreenpeace and other non-governmental
organizations. The statementurged the Canadian government to ratify
the Biosafety Protocol and tostop actively undermining provisions
to control the internationalmovement of GE organisms. The statement
also urged the government toprevent GE contamination resulting from
the export of Canadian GE cropssuch as corn and canola.
Taking peaceful direct action
Greenpeace activistsconfronted delegates with barrels of
Canadian GE canola that had beenfound growing in Japan. The
activists attempted to deliver the GEcanola to Canadian Environment
Minister Stéphane Dion.