Biosafety Clearing-House

The Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) is a website that is free and accessible to all users and gives global access to a variety of scientific, technical, environmental, legal and capacity-building information in the six official languages of the UN. The BCH fulfills its mandate by providing a dynamic platform where information is registered by users and where it can be easily searched and retrieved.

The website is a mechanism established in Article 20 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to facilitate the exchange of information on Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) and to assist Parties in complying with their obligations under the Protocol. The BCH functions as a central information marketplace where the providers and users interact and exchange information on biosafety. All interested users can freely search and retrieve information through the BCH website.

Much of the information in the BCH is owned and updated by national governments. It can be used to assist in making informed decisions regarding the importation or release of living modified organisms. The BCH fosters transparency in biosafety decision-making by allowing easy and open access to key information, which facilitates effective participation of the public and non-government organizations in the decision‑making process. It facilitates scientific and technical cooperation by allowing users to contribute or access biosafety-related information, and through facilitating coordination and synergy between initiatives. The BCH also provides easy access to vital information relevant to imports and exports, including details of national contacts, relevant laws and regulations, and decisions and declarations governing the use and handling of living modified organisms.