ISLAMABAD, Apr 22 (APP):The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has trained Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) nationwide on using the Pakistan Biosafety Clearing-House (Pak-BCH) portal for online submissions of genetically modified (GM) work applications. The move strengthens compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and modernizes regulatory processes. Held across three sessions, the training equipped IBCs with skills to navigate the portal—a centralized digital system for GM-related applications in laboratory research, …
Pakistan enhances biosafety governance with digital training for GM oversight
ISLAMABAD, Apr 22 (APP):The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has trained Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) nationwide on using the Pakistan Biosafety Clearing-House (Pak-BCH) portal for online submissions of genetically modified (GM) work applications.
The move strengthens compliance with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and modernizes regulatory processes.
Held across three sessions, the training equipped IBCs with skills to navigate the portal—a centralized digital system for GM-related applications in laboratory research, field trials, commercialization, and food/feed processing.
“The portal streamlines submissions, cuts paperwork, and ensures transparency,” officials stated, noting physical applications will no longer be accepted under updated rules.
Participants received hands-on guidance, with Pak-BCH’s technical team resolving queries in real time.
The initiative aligns with Pakistan’s push for digital transformation in biosafety governance.
Pak-EPA reaffirmed plans for ongoing stakeholder engagement to bolster regulatory capacity.
