Digital leadership in focus at SQU forum

Energy Monday 15/April/2019 21:30 PM
By: Times News Service
Digital leadership in focus at SQU forum

Muscat: The Special Committee discussed on Monday, at its seventh meeting the proposal to regulate the application of biotechnology and its products and the protection of genetic data in the Sultanate.
The meeting was headed by Hon. Dr. Wafa Salim Ali Al Harrasy and held in the presence of the members of the Committee and the Secretariat staff.
The committee hosted Najeeb A. Al Rawas, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), DrThuraya Said Al Sariri, Assistant Director General of nature conservation in MECA and Saleh Al Sadi, Head of Biodiversity Development Section at Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs.
Consultation
The hosting was meant to enable consultation on topics related to the study, including legislations regulating the use of biotechnology and genetic data protection,regulating the circulation and protection of genetic material, regulating the use and impact of biological applications and scientific research in the field of biotechnology.
The Committee reviewed the types of materials, samples and genetic data within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, the applications resulting from its work in the field of biotechnology, the legislation and regulations governing the imported genetically modified food products, the genetically modified food products within the Sultanate. Additionally, it discussed the legislations regulating permits for the establishment of private laboratories in the field of Biotechnology and its supervisory mechanism, the mechanisms and controls for the use and circulation of biotechnology applications (including storage, processing, dissemination and disposal), the existing biotechnology research laboratories and their quality, as well as the availability of material and technical capabilities to supervise research experiments in private laboratories.