6 July 2012: The second meeting of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol (ICNP) 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) adopted eight recommendations setting the groundwork for the Protocol’s implementation and entry into force.

Held from 2-6 July 2012, in New Delhi, India, the meeting was preceded by a capacity-building workshop on ABS, co-organized by the Secretariats of the CBD and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR).

ICNP 2 adopted eight recommendations on: modalities of operation of the ABS clearing-house; measures to assist in capacity building, capacity development and strengthening of human and institutional capacities in developing countries; measures to raise awareness of the importance of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; cooperative procedures and institutional mechanisms to promote compliance with the Protocol and address cases of non-compliance; the need for, and modalities of, a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism (Article 10); guidance for the financial mechanism; guidance for resource mobilization for the Protocol’s implementation; and future work in preparation for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP/MOP 1).

The meeting prepared for implementation and entry into force by identifying questions requiring clarification at the international level. Although entry into force is expected to take at least another two years, many countries showcased legislative and policy developments highlighting that the Protocol already has had an impact at the domestic level. Participants discussed the need for consistent funding to support these initiatives, and for clarifying the role of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in this regard.

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), the meeting also demonstrated that some Protocol provisions remain obscure, and additional efforts are required to reach common understanding, including regarding the ABS clearing-house and its role in the internationally recognized certificate of compliance. Similarly, deliberations on compliance and the multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism identified a series of issues and unanswered questions, but also set the groundwork for further discussions. [IISD RS Coverage]