OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2012. The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Mykola Zlochevsky on behalf of Ukraine signed two international agreements on genetic resources.

In particular, the Minister Zlochevsky signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. This document provides a fair and equitable sharing of benefits from utilization of genetic resources, including through the provision of needed access to them and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights to such resources and technologies as well as by appropriate funding, thus contributing to the preservation of biological variety and the sustainable use of its components.

Furthermore, the Minister Zlochevsky signed the Nagoya - Kuala Lumpur Additional Protocol on responsibility and reimbursement to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

This document establishes international rules and procedures on responsibility and compensation for damages that may cause to biodiversity of genetically modified organisms. The protocol used in case of causing damages resulting from the transboundary movements of GMOs intended for use as foodstuffs or feedstuff, processing, in closed systems and wilful release into the environment, as well as losses caused as a result of unintentional and illegal transboundary movement of GMOs.

"Transparency in matters of use, access and transfer of genetic materials is very important for Ukraine, after all it is a issue about environmental security of the country," the Minister Mykola Zlochevsky noted, "Henceforth and this sphere will be resolved by not only domestic law and also the international procedures".