March 2016: Following recent ratifications by Togo, the UK and Senegal, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has reached 73 ratifications. In other news of relevance to the Nagoya Protocol, the CBD Secretariat has made available online the report of the expert group meeting on Article 10 of the Protocol, regarding a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism.

The expert group meeting was held from 1-3 February in Montreal, Canada. Key conclusions included: the bilateral approach to ABS should be followed wherever possible and any potential global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism would have a narrow application; there is insufficient information and experience to determine whether or not there is a need for such a mechanism and further experience is needed with implementation of the Nagoya Protocol; there is limited information available on implementation of the provisions of the Protocol related to traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources; and many situations in which it is not possible to grant or obtain prior informed consent may be addressed through capacity-building for Parties and indigenous and local communities. The experts also requested a study on ABS practices and experiences in different ex situ collections and for various types of genetic resources.

In other Nagoya Protocol news, the second internationally recognized certificate of compliance was constituted through the ABS Clearing-House, following the issuance of a permit by South Africa granting access to Kanna plant and associated traditional knowledge for commercial use. [CBD Press Release] [List of Nagoya Protocol Parties] [Expert Group Report]