UNEP is implementing a global GEF project for Building Capacity for Effective Participation in the Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH), as an add-on to the UNEP-GEF Project for Development of National Biosafety Frameworks. UNEPGEF will assist up to 50 countries to participate in the BCH by building human and institutional capacity and by providing countries with the minimum equipment required for the national participation in the BCH. An effective BCH is an essential component of the successful implementation of the Cartagena Protocol, and an important step towards providing countries with the opportunities to participate in the safe use of biotechnology.