An overview of trends in multilateral environmental agreements with an impact on biotechnology and research in Asia and the Pacific

The international community has responded to the call for increased management of biotechnology which may harm the environment through participation in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Some of these agreements contain specific provisions which are at the heart of the foundation, both implicitly and explicitly, for international regulation of biotechnology. The implications of these agreements for biotechnology research are discussed. The membership of countries in the Asia and Pacific region to specific MEAs is discussed in the context of selected economic, political, geographical and agricultural indicators.