The New Zealand government’s Gene Technology Bill is in
breach of the directives of the Aarhus Convention to consult
the public, allow public participation and ensure access to
justice.
On April 20, the Aarhus
Convention’s new GMO directives was passed. The
protocol was ratified by 27 of the 35 parties and sets a
precedence for international harmonisation on all parties
and signatories to the Cartagena Protocol and Aarhus
Conventions. [1]
Executive Secretary of the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD), Astrid
Schomaker, clarifies the directives on the procedures
for consulting with the public when developing a national
biosafety framework. This includes facilitating capacity
building programmes with the participation of the public for
further developing access to information, public
participation and access to justice with respect to
genetically engineered/ modified/gene edited (GMOs/GE)
organisms. [2]
The process of writing The Gene
Technology Bill and the regulatory system it sets up,
contravenes the Aarhus directives in a number of
ways.
There has been lack of public and stakeholder
participation from the start, which continues to this day.
The Bill makes broad exemptions of GE products from
regulation and traceability which takes away the right to
choose from farmers and
consumers.
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“The lack of consultation
and democratic public participation in writing The Gene
Technology Bill goes against everything the directives say
is important,” said Claire Bleakley, president of GE Free
NZ.
“In light of the international
Convention’s directives it is clear that the process
around The Gene Technology Bill is seriously
broken.”
The charity organisation Physicians and
Scientists for Global Responsibility (PSGR) has written
to the Ombudsman to investigate whether the Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) officials and the
responsible Minister, the Hon Judith Collins directly
undermined public law conventions and processes to their
benefit in advancing policies and laws in favour of the
deregulation of gene editing technology. [3]
Also just
released is a Parliamentary
petition sponsored by Lisa Er calling for people to sign
the petition to “Halt the Bill and set up a Commission of
Inquiry.” This is in direct response to the deliberate
omission of the public, farmers and businesses in the
drafting of the Bill. [4]
As a signatory to the
Cartagena Protocol the Aarhus Convention guides New Zealand
to abide by the directives and set up a Commission of
Inquiry on the Gene Technology Bill.
[5]
References:
[1] https://unece.org/environment-policy/public-participation/aarhus-convention/gmo-amendment
[2]
https://www.cbd.int/article/aarhus-convention-gmo-amendment-2025
[3]
https://psgr.org.nz/component/jdownloads/send/1-root/176-2025-ombudsman-request-inquiry-gene-tech-reform
[4]
https://petitions.parliament.nz/b64831bc-b0b2-4518-a62d-08dd708a9825
[5]
https://slideplayer.com/slide/16816358/
