Release of Genetically Modified Organisms in the Environment: is it a Health Hazard?

s of each presentation were prepared by the authors themselves. They solely reflect their point of view. The sections “discussion/issues raised”, which follow each abstract, have been drafted by the secretariat according to key issues raised and book marked as such during the final discussion, further edited by the author of the papers and submitted for final review to all participants. Activities of International Organizations (WHO, FAO, UNEP, ICGEB, OECD) related to biotechnology A first session of the seminar was dedicated to the activities of International Organization in relation with biotechnology. Representatives of the Headquarter of the World Health Organization (WHO), Food Safety Programme (FOS); of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB); of the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) were invited to present their activity. Updated reviews of their activities are available at the following web pages: WHO/FOS: Safety of food derived from modern biotechnology page (http://www.who.int/fsf/GMfood/index.htm) FAO: FAO and CBD Biosafety Protocol page (http://www.fao.org/sd/rtdirect/rtre0034.htm) UNEP: Convention on Biological Diversity – UNEP secretariat (http://www.biodiv.org/) ICGEB: Biosafety page (http://www.icgeb.trieste.it/biosafety/) OECD: (http://www.oecd.org/subject/biotech/) Release of Genetically Modified Organisms in the Environment: is it a Health Hazard? Rome, Italy, 7-9.9.2000 7 Session a) Risk Assessment "The fundamentals of science-based environmental risk assessment of GMOs" (presented by Othmar Kaeppeli)