The New Zealand government’s Gene Technology Bill is in breach of the directives of the Aarhus Convention to consult the public, allow public participation and ensure access to justice.

On April 20, the Aarhus Convention’s new GMO directives was passed. The protocol was ratified by 27 of the 35 parties and sets a precedence for international harmonisation on all parties and signatories to the Cartagena Protocol and Aarhus Conventions. [1]

Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Astrid Schomaker, clarifies the directives on the procedures for consulting with the public when developing a national biosafety framework. This includes facilitating capacity building programmes with the participation of the public for further developing access to information, public participation and access to justice with respect to genetically engineered/ modified/gene edited (GMOs/GE) organisms. [2]

The process of writing The Gene Technology Bill and the regulatory system it sets up, contravenes the Aarhus directives in a number of ways.

There has been lack of public and stakeholder participation from the start, which continues to this day. The Bill makes broad exemptions of GE products from regulation and traceability which takes away the right to choose from farmers and consumers.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

“The lack of consultation and democratic public participation in writing The Gene Technology Bill goes against everything the directives say is important,” said Claire Bleakley, president of GE Free NZ.

“In light of the international Convention’s directives it is clear that the process around The Gene Technology Bill is seriously broken.”

The charity organisation Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility (PSGR) has written to the Ombudsman to investigate whether the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) officials and the responsible Minister, the Hon Judith Collins directly undermined public law conventions and processes to their benefit in advancing policies and laws in favour of the deregulation of gene editing technology. [3]

Also just released is a Parliamentary petition sponsored by Lisa Er calling for people to sign the petition to “Halt the Bill and set up a Commission of Inquiry.” This is in direct response to the deliberate omission of the public, farmers and businesses in the drafting of the Bill. [4]

As a signatory to the Cartagena Protocol the Aarhus Convention guides New Zealand to abide by the directives and set up a Commission of Inquiry on the Gene Technology Bill. [5]

References:

[1] https://unece.org/environment-policy/public-participation/aarhus-convention/gmo-amendment

[2] https://www.cbd.int/article/aarhus-convention-gmo-amendment-2025

[3] https://psgr.org.nz/component/jdownloads/send/1-root/176-2025-ombudsman-request-inquiry-gene-tech-reform

[4] https://petitions.parliament.nz/b64831bc-b0b2-4518-a62d-08dd708a9825

[5] https://slideplayer.com/slide/16816358/

© Scoop Media