In 1992, world leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, recognizing the potential risks of modern biotechnology, called for an international mechanism to ensure that biotechnology is developed and applied with adequate safety measures. As a result, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was negotiated, as a supplementary agreementto the Convention on Biological Diversity. With your help the Protocol will effectively ensure biosafety at the international, national and local levels, and contribute to sustainable development. For more information on the Protocol visit:www.cbd.int/biosafety/. In Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.