Nagoya Protocol: Corrections to French Version

The UN Secretary-General, acting as depository of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), has circulated a list of additional corrections to the French version of the original text of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS). A CBD notification (in French) lists the proposed corrections. Objections must be communicated to the Secretary-General by 30 January 2012.

FAO/CGRFA-13: Outcomes

The 13th regular session of FAO's Commission on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA-13) has: adopted the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA); established an Ad hoc Technical Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) for genetic resources for food and agriculture (GRFA); and developed a roadmap for climate change and GRFA.

IISD-RS Coverage

CBD/ITPGR: Joint Activities for Treaty and ABS Protocol

During the 37th session of the FAO Conference, the Executive Secretary of CBD and the Secretary of the ITPGR  announced joint capacity-building activities for 2011 and early 2012, which will seek the coherent implementation of the ITPGR and the Nagoya Protocol.

Joint CBD/ITPGR Press Release

Nagoya Protocol: Corrections to French

The CBD Secretariat has circulated a notification received from the UN/S-G, acting as depository of the Convention, regarding a list of corrections to the French version of the original text of the Nagoya Protocol. The S-G issued the notification on 16 June 2011, which was the deadline for submission of objections to proposed corrections. No objections were received, and the French version of the original text of the  Protocol has been amended accordingly.

CBD Notification, including List of Corrections

ICNP-1: Recommendations adopted

As preparation for COP/MOP-1 of the Nagoya Protocol, the Intergovernmental Committee at its meeting from 5-10 June in Montreal (Canada), adopted four recommendations, including on compliance with the Protocol, which emerged as the dominant discussion topic and are expected to take a significant role at the next meeting of the Committee, scheduled for April 2012.

Draft Report
IISD RS Coverage of the Meeting
Meeting Documents

Nagoya Protocol: Intergovernmental Committee

The 1st meeting of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol opened on 5 June 2011, to elect Janet Lowe (New Zealand) to co-Chair the Committee, alongside Fernando Casas (Colombia).

Pacific: Post CBD/COP-10 Review

A meeting to follow-up on CBD/COP-10 took place in Nadi (Fiji), from 16-20 May titled "Implementing the Nagoya Outcomes: Review and Planning Meeting." Specific areas on the agenda included the Strategic Plan, funding opportunities, protected areas, island biodiversity, national biodiversity strategy action plans (NBSAPs), implications of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) for the Pacific, as well as the sharing of experiences and lessons learned for participating in international negotiations.

Press Release

WHO: 64th Assembly

The 64th Session of the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Assembly met from 16-24 May  in Geneva (Switzerland) and adopted a framework on pandemic influenza preparedness covering the sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits.

The framework establishes a specific regime for access and benefit-sharing (ABS) with regard to influenza viruses, and for sharing of benefits arising out of research performed on those viruses, in particular through access to vaccines, antiviral drugs and scientific information. It aims to improve pandemic influenza preparedness and response, and strengthen protection against the pandemic influenza by improving the WHO's global influenza surveillance and response system (GISRS).

Draft WHO Resolution and Framework

Article: Critique of CBD and ABS

A recent article titled: "Biological Diversity: A Common Heritage" from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) casts doubt on the benefits of CBD and the associated Nagoya Protocol.

GEF: Fund for Implementing Nagoya Protocol

The GEF Council has established a dedicated Trust Fund for the Nagoya Protocol on ABS. The Trust Fund aims at facilitating the early entry into force and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. [CBD Notification]

ABS and ITPGRFA

This study assesses the state of implementation of the ITPGRFA Multilateral System for Access and Benefit-sharing (MLS), seven years after the Treaty came into force. The study finds that overall implementation of the MLS has been slow and identifies a need for several measures to allow for an implementation of the MLS in a way that achieves the objectives of the Treaty. Full paper

CBD: ABS notifications

The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) circulated a number of notifications relating to the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS), including the announcement that Timothy Hodges (Canada) is no longer in a position to serve as Co-Chair of the intergovernmental process. 

[CBD Notification on Co-Chair Nomination] [CBD Notification on Intergovernmental Committee Meeting] [CBD Notification on Expert Meeting on ABS Clearing-House]

WTO: TRIPS and ABS

The World Trade Organization Council on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) discussed the relationship between intellectual property rights and certain provisions of the Nagoya Protocol recently adopted under the auspices of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In this first exchange of views after the adoption of the Protocol positions on this issue remained essentially unchanged. The TRIPS Council also could not agree to invite the CBD Secretariat to brief the TRIPS Council on the outcomes of COP-10. [WTO News on the TRIPS Council]

ABS and Implementation

An international seminar organized by IDDRI and AFD took place on 3 February, 2011 where participants focussed on the legal, policy and practical challenges of the Nagoya Protocol. Objectives included contributing to the debate on outstanding issues, future research directions and technical assistance and training activities related to the implementation of the Protocol. An in-depth report on the outcomes will appear in Environmental Policy and Law: The journal for decision-makers. Programme and Presentations

Nagoya ABS Protocol: Signing Ceremony

In conjuntion with the launch of the International Year of Forests, the Nagoya ABS Protocol will be opened for signature by parties to CBD beginning on 2 February 2011, for one year, at UN/HQ.

Nagoya Protocol

The text of the Nagoya Protocol has been posted online in three languages (English, French, Spanish) by ECOLEX: the gateway to environmental law.