Australia is one of a few countries to shun the UN Protocol on Biosafety that most countries will adopt in Nagoya, Japan, next week. The protocol is a global quarantine and customs treaty to protect the environment and human health from genetically manipulated organisms. [...] “As a party to the CBD, Australia ought to join the protocol and cooperate with the 160 other countries that are already members,” says Gene Ethics Director, Bob Phelps.