From September 15 to 17, 2025, in Po, in Nazinon, the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development (SP-CNDD) organized a training workshop for border technical service agents. The objective was to strengthen national capacities to control transboundary movements of genetic resources and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in accordance with Burkina Faso's commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

This training is part of the dynamics of implementing the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It aims to equip Customs, Water and Forestry, Gendarmerie, Police, as well as veterinary and phytosanitary services agents, to better detect illicit flows of biological resources and prevent the risks associated with GMOs.

The border posts of Cinkassé, Dakola, Léo and Ouagadougou International Airport have been identified as priority areas. These strategic points concentrate a significant part of cross-border exchanges, making it crucial to strengthen the capacities of the agents who operate there.

This activity comes after the adoption of the National Biological Diversity Strategy 2025—2030 and the decree of 28 May 2025 governing access to genetic resources, their derivatives and associated traditional knowledge. These instruments reflect Burkina Faso's political will to develop a robust legal framework in accordance with international standards.

Led by national experts, the training combined theoretical communications and practical group work. The andragogical approach adopted allowed participants to confront the concepts of international protocols with the reality on the ground, thus promoting better ownership. This capacity building is a major advance in the fight against biopiracy and the preservation of Burkina Faso's genetic heritage.

As a reminder, this initiative, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF 8), is part of the Framework Programme to support the updating of NBSAPs and the development of the 7th national report on biodiversity.