Guidelines for institutional biosafety committees (IBCs)

As part of their national regulatory frameworks, countries may require the establishment of IBCs within any organisation working in modern biotechnology, including research institutions and universities. Therefore, IBCs are meant to complement the work done by national regulatory agencies or national biosafety committees in ensuring full compliance with the national rules and regulations governing the development and use of modern biotechnology and products. These guidelines provide indications for the constitution, composition, roles, and functions of IBCs as well as the basic compliance requirements, based on national regulations, international agreements, and best practices. The purpose of the current IBC guidelines is to guide research institutions and similar organisations within the African Union Members States that are engaged in genetic engineering work.