Project Identification Form (PIF)
Project Type:
the GEF Trust Fund
Submission Date: January 2008
Re-submission Date: May 2008, February 10, 2009
Indicative CalendarMilestones / Expected Dates
Work Program (for FSP)
CEO Endorsement/Approval / Mar 2009
GEF Agency Approval / Oct. 2009
Implementation Start / Dec. 2009
Mid-term Review (if planned) / Dec. 2011
Implementation Completion / Dec. 2013
part i: project IDentification
GEFSEC Project ID[1]: 3636
gef agency Project ID:
Country(ies): Cambodia
Project Title: Building Capacity for the Detection and Monitoring of LMOs in Cambodia
GEF Agency(ies): , ,
Other Executing partner(s): Ministry of Environment
GEF Focal Area (s): ,,
GEF-4 Strategic program(S): SP6
Name of parent program/umbrella project:Biosafety
A. Project framework (Expand table as necessary)
Project Objective: Building national human and infrastructure capacities for GMO detection and monitoring in the Cambodia.Project Components
/Indicate whether Investment, TA, or STA**
/ Expected Outcomes /Expected Outputs
/Indicative GEF Financing*
/ Indicative Co-financing* / Total ($)($)
/%
/($)
/%
1. Identification, analysis and quantification of LMO detection and monitoring needs with reference to the stocking results from the ‘needs evaluation’ carried out at the mid-2006 Inception Workshop of the UNEP/GEF NBF Implementation Project and the planned stocktaking exercise under the PPG phase of the project described by this PIF.. / TA / Accurate and comprehensive baseline information on national capacities in
Infrastructure, biosafety and biotechnology manpower needs for LMO
detection and monitoring in the country.
Identified capacity needs mainstreamed into National plans and budgets / A strategic paper on national capacity for the management of LMOs entering Cambodia.
Capacity building for technical capacity in LMO detection integrated with overall national technical needs. / 5,000 / 83.33 / 1,000 / 16.67 / 6,000
2. Training and public understanding in 4 aspects: (i) Staff training for LMO detection
(ii) “Training of trainers” for personnel responsible for customs, border control and monitoring.
(iii) Staff training to operate and maintain equipment in LMO detection laboratory.
(iv) Staff training on public communication to promote public understanding on the potential consequences of unapproved or unintentional releases of LMOs to their health, biodiversity and the environment / STA / Institutional capacity for LMO detection, including operation and maintenance of laboratory equipment in accordance with international norms.
More effective control of movement of LMOs/LMOs across Cambodian border.
Enhanced ability to comply with obligations of CPB.
Staff trained in public communication.
Active public participation after increased understanding on the likely consequences of illegal release of LMOs / Staff trained to undertake LMO sampling, detection and operation of laboratory.
Pool of trained trainers for LMO detection and monitoring.
Customs and border control staff trained to test for presence of LMOs as well as to seek laboratory confirmation.
Manuals developed for LMO sampling and detection
Communication material on the importance of seeking approval prior to releases of LMOs (prepared jointly with the NBF Implementation project).
Public feedback on LMO applications / 220,000 / 84.60 / 40,000 / 15.40 / 260,000
3. Improvement of infrastructure to include key instruments for LMOs detection, monitoring, and clean room facilities as well as making facilities available for ‘on-site’ LMO detection (outside the laboratory). / STA / Identified laboratory upgraded according to international standard required for LMO detection.
Enhanced capacity for in-country detection and monitoring of LMOs
More effective enforcement of the Biosafety Law, decrees and sub-decrees, better border control and field tests.
Improved capacity to comply with obligations of CPB. / Key instruments for LMO detection in place and operational.
Methodologies to identify and quantify LMOs to assist in compliance to labeling regulations of Biosafety Law.
Methods developed or modified for qualitative ón-site’ testing of LMOs at borders and in field trials.
Internationally accredited LMO detection laboratory / 330,000 / 25.80 / 950,000 / 74.20 / 1,280,000
4. Establishing a system to store, retrieve and disseminate LMO information of all samples tested. / STA / National Information System for Management of Data on Biosafety & Biotechnology linked with BCH, existing national databases and international info resources.
Scientific basis for resolving legal disputes on LMO labeling and non compliance. / A National Register for all LMOs tested by Cambodian LMO detection reference laboratory
Repository for storage, retrieval, comparison and validation of LMO test results.
Linked to the dedicated Biosafety/national BCH website (established respectively under the NBF Implementation project and the BCH project). / 44,828 / 89.96 / 5,000 / 10.04 / 49,828
5. Project management / 51,700 / 92.82 / 4,000 / 7.18 / 55,700
6. Project monitoring and evaluation cost / 5,000 / 100.00 / 0 / 0 / 5,000
Total project costs / 656,528 / 39.63 / 1,000,000 / 60.37 / 1,656,528
* List the $ by project components. The percentage is the share of GEF and Co-financing respectively to the total amount for the component.
** TA = Technical Assistance; STA = Scientific & technical analysis.
B. Indicative Financing Plan Summary For The Project ($)
GEF / 28,000 / 656,528 / 68,453 / 752,981
Co-financing / 6,000 / 1,000,000 / 0 / 1,006,000
Total / 34,000 / 1,656,528 / 68,453 / 1,758,981
* Please include the previously approved PDFs and planned request for new PPG, if any. Indicate the amount already approved as
footnote here and if the GEF funding is from GEF-3.
C. Indicative Co-financing for the project (including project preparation amount) by source and
by name (in parenthesis) if available, ($)
Project Government Contribution / In-kind / 100,000
GEF Agency(ies) / (select)GrantSoft LoanHard LoanGuaranteeIn-kindUnknown at this stage
Bilateral Aid Agency(ies)
EU/ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity / In-kind / 900,000
Multi Lateral
Private Sector / (select)GrantSoft LoanHard LoanGuaranteeIn-kindUnknown at this stage
NGO / (select)GrantSoft LoanHard LoanGuaranteeIn-kindUnknown at this stage
Others / (select)GrantSoft LoanHard LoanGuaranteeIn-kindUnknown at this stage
Total co-financing / 1,000,000
D. GEF Resources Requested by Focal Area(s), agency (ies) share and country(ies)*
GEF Agency / Focal Area / Country Name/Global / (in $)
Project Preparation / Project / Agency
Fee / Total
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / BD / Cambodia / 28,000 / 656,528 / 68,453 / 725,981
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / (select)BiodiversityClimate ChangeInternational WatersLand DegradationOzone Depletion SubstancesPersistent Organic PollutantsNDI/CSPSGP/CB/LDC-SIDS Support
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / (select)BiodiversityClimate ChangeInternational WatersLand DegradationOzone Depletion SubstancesPersistent Organic PollutantsNDI/CSPSGP/CB/LDC-SIDS Support
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / (select)BiodiversityClimate ChangeInternational WatersLand DegradationOzone Depletion SubstancesPersistent Organic PollutantsNDI/CSPSGP/CB/LDC-SIDS Support
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / (select)BiodiversityClimate ChangeInternational WatersLand DegradationOzone Depletion SubstancesPersistent Organic PollutantsNDI/CSPSGP/CB/LDC-SIDS Support
(select)World BankUNDPUNEPAsDBAfDBEBRDIADBFAOUNIDOIFAD / (select)BiodiversityClimate ChangeInternational WatersLand DegradationOzone Depletion SubstancesPersistent Organic PollutantsNDI/CSPSGP/CB/LDC-SIDS Support
Total GEF Resources
* No need to provide information for this table if it is a single focal area, single country and single GEF Agency project.
part ii: project JustiFication
A State the issue, how the project seeks to address it, and the expected global environmental benefits to be delivered:
Modern biotechnology and its safe use and management (i.e. biosafety) are new to Cambodia, even though the country has practised traditional biotechnology for centuries. In recognition of its limited capacity for biotechnological research and development in Cambodia, the Government has continued to promote traditional breeding methods for plants, crops and animals, with an emphasis on selecting traits suitable for domestic markets and agricultural circumstances. In the short to medium term, the country considers itself to be a net importer rather than a producer or exporter of products of modern biotechnology. Since products derived from modern biotechnology have been in the market for at least 10 years, it is likely that these might have entered Cambodia undetected and without a risk assessment. Their impacts on biodiversity and the environment in Cambodia also remain unstudied.
The National Biosafety Law of Cambodia was approved by Government on 27 Dec. 2007. According to the new Biosafety Law, all LMOs imported for contained use, planting, field trial, intentional release into the environment and for direct use as food, feed and processing have to be regulated and labelled. However, Cambodia is presently unable to enforce that part of the Law because it currently lacks the manpower and infrastructure capacity to undertake LMO detection to regulate the movement of LMOs across its national boundary. This weakness is also hampering Cambodia to comply with its obligation as Party to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB), namely, to regulate the transboundary movement of LMOs. Detection of LMOs for monitoring was not included in the implementation project because that need was only recognised after the completion of National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) study. Findings from NCSA included the urgent need for Cambodia to build the much-needed technical expertise for LMO detection. Additional gaps such as the need to create a critical mass of scientific personnel to maintain and sustain the national reference laboratory as well as to improve its existing laboratory infrastructure to undertake new tasks emerged as the implementation project progressed. This project will also address gaps and complement the activities of the GEF-funded NBF implementation project which is currently in progress.
Cambodia is an agriculture-based country with traditional and organic farms distributed throughout the land. In 2005, agriculture contributed approximately to 15% of the country’s GDP2. Cambodia also has extensive landraces of economic crops such as rice[2], cereals, vegetables and fruits which are unique to the region. Because of the traditional method of cultivating rice, Cambodia has an extensive collection of 2000 rice varieties, which are stored in the Gene Bank for Genetic Resources at IRRI (Philippines)3. If the movement of LMOs were unchecked and were to be mixed or crossed with these traditional crops, loss of biodiversity can be irreversible, resulting in negative global effects. Therefore, the ability to regulate the movement of LMOs through LMO detection techniques and monitoring for environmental impact will enhance the conservation and sustainable use of the rich biodiversity in the country. Conservation of biodiversity is important for development of agriculture worldwide. The ability to monitor LMOs will also reduce the potential risk of gene flow from GM-crops to wild and cultivated agricultural crop relatives in the country, thus contributing directly to global environmental benefits.
B Describe the consistency of the project with national priorities/plans:
With financial resources from GEF, Cambodia successfully developed a National Biosafety Framework (NBF), which later formed the basis for the drafting of a National Biosafety law of Cambodia. This Law was approved recently and it now enacted as the Biosafety Law 2007. Upon completion of the NBF Development project, and in preparation of a NBF Implementation project, Cambodia undertook a National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) in order to determine the strategic objectives for the implementation of the NBF. The development of the Strategic Development Plan 2006-2007 and the NCSA Action Plan were based on the findings of that NCSA. According to the NCSA study, institutional and human capacity building in biosafety, especially the development of capacities for detection of LMOs and to monitor their environmental effects was identified as top priority, together with capacity for safe handling of LMOs, information dissemination and research capacity for risk assessment of LMOs (NCSA, 2007, priority 1-4, p.29). Therefore this project to build human and infrastructure capacity for LMO detection is consistent with the national priorities of Cambodia.
Strengthening capacity for LMO detection will also contribute to the achievement of Cambodia’s Millennium Development Goal 7, targets 9 & 11, which is to ensure sustainable development, preserve biodiversity and poverty reduction.
C Describe the consistency of the project with gef strategies and strategic programs:
The project proposal is consistent with the GEF strategy to assist countries to comply with the CPB. It also belongs to the Biodiversity Focal Area and falls within Strategic Program 6 on "Building capacity for the implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety". The project is also consistent with GEF’s Strategy for Financing Biosafety, under the framework of the overall Focal Area Strategies and Strategic Programming for GEF-4. It is also in accordance with the key elements of the Updated Action Plan for Building Capacities for the Effective Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol, agreed at COP-MOP-3 of the CBD.
D Outline the Coordination with other related initiatives:
Capacity building in biotechnology and biosafety was initiated through the Rio Capacity Initiative (CDI). This was later transformed into the NCSA study. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) is very appreciative of the outcome of the NCSA because it provided a synergistic capacity to implement three important multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) namely, the UNCBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD in a comprehensive and mutually supportive manner. Since biosafety issues are integrated into the NCSA, effective implementation of the NCSA will not only ensure the prevention of species loss, but at the same time, contribute to carbon sequestration, reduce soil erosion and land degradation.
Strengthening capacity in detection and monitoring of LMOs will also assist in the implementation of the national work programme for protected areas under Decision VII/28, by preventing and minimising the entry of LMOs which could become invasives into protected areas. This project will augment a proposed collaboration with the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) to conserve genetic resource in protected areas, coupled with their sustainable utilisation, and the ASEAN Vientiane Action Programme (2004-2010) related to Nature Conservation and Biodiversity. Monitoring will provide an extra tool to safeguard local species in cultivated as well as protected areas from being contaminated with LMO counterparts which are introduced into the environment.