As per the article 20 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) has been established, which serves as an information exchange mechanism to assist Parties to implement its provisions and to facilitate sharing of information and experiences with Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). It provides a “one – stop shop” where users can readily access or contribute relevant biosafety related information with an objective to assist governments to make informed decisions regarding the importation or release of LMOs. The BCH also facilitates scientific and technical cooperation between parties and stakeholders by allowing interested stakeholders to access or contribute information on existing biosafety capacity building activities, thus facilitating coordination and synergy between various initiatives. For industry and other stakeholders, the BCH allows easy access to information vital to their activities including details of the national contacts, relevant laws and regulations governing LMO activities and the decisions and declarations made by Parties, especially regard to transboundary movements.

All the Parties to the Protocol are expected to participate in BCH either by providing information through the central portal or setting up their own websites linked to the central portal.