the Indian government recently decided to ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (cpb). But, the Union cabinet's much-delayed move has been dubbed by environmentalists as a mere "technical formality'. Critics feel that the protocol would do little to break the grip of powerful international trade regimes that are overriding environmental concerns today.

India will become the 36th country to ratify the protocol which aims to provide a safe mechanism for the transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (lmos). The pact will come into effect only after 50 countries have ratified it. Negotiated under the aegis of the Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd), it was adopted in 2000 after five years of talks and two aborted attempts.

Experts say that the weak link is that the protocol does not override provisions of other international agreements such as the World Trade Organisation (wto) treaty. The main flaw in the pact pertains to implementation of the