Second Conference on Biotechnology for Asian Development
Press Conference on April 8^th 2004 Key Outcomes
	Emphasis on regional cooperation to deal with biotechnology and related safety should be a priority.
	Timing and resources are the key in addition to capacities.
	Role of Education and awareness is critical to ensure not only adoption of technology but also its integration to national agricultural systems.
	Impacts of IPR on regional cooperation are critical and need urgent attention.
	Public-Private sector partnerships key to success.
	The conference brings together innovative partnerships
	Role of biotechnology in ensuring food and nutritional securities were emphasized. However, it is early to assess the impacts in Asia.
	Socio-economic indicators on usefulness of biotechnology are weak and need strengthening.
	Responding to local needs should be a priority. However, the focus of private sector needs strengthening.
	Public sector funding key for R&D on issues of local and national importance.
	Assessment on impacts of Article 27.3 (b) on national patent regime need focus and be prioritized.
	Impacts of issues on IPRs and technology transfer as a part of Free Trade Agreements need study. SAFTA might provide an opportunity for SAARC!
	The relationships between implementation principles of MEAs, especially the Cartagena Protocol and WTO need critical review. Policy makers and practitioners need to work together on developing national policies.
	The influences of IPRs and biotechnology is felt on legal and patent regimes in India. Recent developments on legal reviews in India might provide options for other countries in the region.
	The discussion under Cartagena Protocol on issues of labeling, traceability should be considering local and national situation and feasibility. Currently the global discussions do not match national capacities.
	Experiences of countries like China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philippines, Cuba, Mexico and others provide a good opportunity for assessing options and constraints.
	The need for national policy that is responsive, transparent and relevant to local needs is critical for furthering the agenda on biotechnology and introducing the technology at commercial scale. This is particularly relevant to India.
	Experiences of countries and institutions on socio-economic impacts of biotechnology reveal that identification and adoption of technologies, markets, policies and approaches that are locally relevant alone would succeed for application to development planning.
	Asian economies need to urgently look into the issue of how biotechnology is being defined. As of now, there are different definitions being used which creates hurdles in the measurement of biotechnology related economic activities.
	Cost benefit analyses of biotechnology form an important element of decision making on adoption of technology. Information exchange, agreement on testing and regulatory standard harmonization @ regional level can reduce costs and make adoption more affordable.
	There is a need for some innovative Private-Public sector partnerships. With its economic policies and national commitments by private sector, India can extend its experimentation on this.
	New initiatives for Asia – Regional CHM on biotechnology and biosafety; Regional Cooperative Network of biotechnology and development.