This document was developed in accordance with Articles 7 and 11 of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic "On Biological Safety." Its main goal is to eliminate legal gaps and ensure a comprehensive approach to minimizing biological risks and threats.
The explanatory note states that under conditions of globalization, climate change, and active trade in agricultural products, the risk of importing new infections and the spread of animal diseases that pose a threat to humans significantly increases. This also concerns products of biotechnology that are dangerous to biodiversity and the occurrence of emergencies related to technogenic and bioterrorism threats.
The draft document creates an administrative and procedural framework for the interaction of various agencies, establishing clear requirements for information exchange: "who, to whom, what, in what form, and within what timeframes." It involves a wide range of state authorities, such as the ministries of health, veterinary medicine, agriculture, as well as the bodies of ecology, technical supervision, customs, border service, and internal affairs.
One of the innovations of the draft is the introduction of a Unified Biological Data Platform (UBDP), which will serve as the basis for a digital ecosystem of interaction. This will allow for the distribution of powers and responsibilities among agencies, as well as ensure timely information exchange and coordination of actions in the event of biological threats.
The procedure for interaction between state authorities and local self-government bodies in the context of biological safety according to the Cartagena Protocol
APPROVED
By the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers
of the Kyrgyz Republic
dated "___" ___________ 2025 No. ____
The procedure for interaction between state authorities and local self-government bodies to ensure biological safety taking into account the provisions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
I. General Provisions
This Procedure defines the mechanism and procedures for mandatory interaction between state authorities, local self-government bodies (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Participants in Interaction), and other organizations for the implementation of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic "On Biological Safety in the Kyrgyz Republic," prevention, detection, assessment, and elimination of biological threats, as well as to ensure state guarantees of safety in handling products of modern biotechnology, including the handling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the transboundary movement of biological agents.
The main principles of interaction are:
- the obligation and timeliness of procedures established by this Procedure and its Appendices;
- precaution and risk prevention;
- informational transparency and access to data (including the national exchange point - Biosafety Clearing-House);
- scientific justification of decisions;
- accountability and mutual control of state authorities;
- compliance with international standards (WHO, FAO, EAEU, OECD).
Interaction is carried out in two modes:
- Routine Activity Mode – planned data exchange, coordination of preventive and control measures.
- Biological Emergency Mode (Emergency Mode) – interaction in the event of a specific biological threat or incident that causes or may cause an emergency.
The transition from Routine Activity Mode to Emergency Mode is carried out in accordance with the Regulations on Actions upon Detection of a Signal Event (Appendix 2).
II. Participants in Interaction and Their Key Roles
The key participants, state authorities in interaction, are:
- The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic - determining priorities for economic development, forming and implementing state economic, trade, tax, and customs policies.
- The Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic (Ministry of Agriculture) – the responsible authority for assessing epizootic and phytosanitary risks, veterinary and phytosanitary supervision.
- The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic (Ministry of Natural Resources)- the responsible authority for environmental protection and ensuring ecological safety, rational use of natural resources, regulation in the field of climate change, natural resource management, and state ecological control (supervision).
- The Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic (Ministry of Health) – the responsible authority for comprehensive assessment of biological risks to public health, epidemiological investigation, and sanitary-epidemiological supervision.
- The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic (MES) – the responsible authority for coordinating response forces in emergencies, monitoring the state of the environment, and maintaining a Unified Register of Potentially Dangerous Biological Objects.
- The Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic (Ministry of Digital Development) – the responsible authority for the technical support, operation, and development of the Unified Biological Data Platform (UBDP) – the main authorized channel for inter-agency exchange.
- The State Customs Service under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (Customs Service) – the responsible authority for controlling the transboundary movement of biological agents and promptly informing about identified threats at the border.
- Local state administrations and local self-government bodies – responsible for providing up-to-date local data, organizing activities in their jurisdiction, and interacting with the population.
- Other authorities (Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Committee for National Security, Border Service, etc.) – participate in accordance with their competence defined by legislation and decisions of the Interagency Commission.
The Interagency Commission on Biological Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) is the single coordinating body in Emergency Mode and the authorized body conducting control and analytical activities in Routine Activity Mode.
III. Regulations for Interaction
Interaction in Routine Activity Mode is carried out in accordance with the Data Exchange Regulations (Appendix 1), which establishes lists of data, deadlines, frequency of information provided to the authorized body, recipients of information, and forms of provision.
The procedure for activating the Emergency Mode is carried out in accordance with the Regulations on Actions upon Detection of a Signal Event (Appendix 2). The moment of activation is considered to be the registration of the "Signal Event Card" in the UBDP and its automatic distribution to key state authorities.
Interaction in Emergency Mode is carried out in accordance with the Regulations for Interaction in the Event of a Biological Emergency (Appendix 3), which defines the management scheme, planning methodologies, responsibilities of the Operational Headquarters, and Working Groups.
Special interaction procedures apply to:
- monitoring, risk assessment, and handling of products of modern biotechnology;
- control and accounting of the transboundary movement of biological agents.
Unified document forms (Appendix 4) are used for documenting interactions, which are mandatory for application by all state authorities.
IV. Final Provisions
Failure to comply with the procedures and deadlines for interaction established by this Procedure and its Appendices entails liability in accordance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic.
This Procedure is subject to review at least once every five years, as well as as new information systems are put into operation and changes in the international obligations of the Kyrgyz Republic occur.
To address practical issues of interaction, comprehensive interagency command-staff exercises are conducted at least once a year.
Interaction with international organizations and competent authorities of foreign states is carried out in accordance with international treaties of the Kyrgyz Republic through the authorized state body.
CONTENT OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Data Exchange Regulations in Routine Activity Mode
- Tables with specific data (example): "Laboratory Monitoring Data on Resistance in Humans," "Information on the Epizootic Situation by Regions," "Results of Vector Monitoring," "Register of Issued Licenses for Work with Pathogens."
- For each row: Sender, Recipient, Deadline/Frequency, Data Format, Responsible Official.
Appendix 2: Regulations on Actions upon Detection of a Signal Event
- Criteria for a signal event (for example: group illness with an unknown cause, animal deaths, accidents at facilities with biological agents, detection of a quarantine object at the border).
- Step-by-step algorithm (1-4 steps, as described earlier) with timeframes (1 hour, 15 minutes, etc.).
- Screenshot/description of the "Signal Event Card (SE-1)" form with 10-15 mandatory fields.
Appendix 3: Regulations for Interaction in Emergency Mode
- Organizational structure scheme: Commission → Operational Headquarters (appointed by order) → Working Groups (epidemiological, veterinary, laboratory, logistical, informational).
- Schedule and regulations for meetings (daily briefings of the headquarters, three-day planning cycles by the Commission).
- Responsibilities of the head of the Operational Headquarters and each working group.
- Procedure for maintaining the "Emergency Event Log" in the UBDP.
Appendix 4: Unified Document Forms
- Form SE-1: Signal Event Card.
- Form OD-1: Report on Biological Data (for Regulation 1).
- Form PD-1: Action Plan for 72 Hours (for Emergency Mode).
- Form IR-1: Information Message for the Public.
