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AbouttheNagoyaProtocol

AbouttheNagoyaProtocol
Sections:

WhatistheNagoyaProtocolandwhatisitsobjective?
WhyistheNagoyaProtocolimportant?
WhatdoestheNagoyaProtocolcover?
WhatarethecoreobligationsoftheNagoyaProtocolwithrespecttogeneticresources?
HowdoestheNagoyaProtocoladdresstraditionalknowledgeassociatedwithgeneticresourcesand
geneticresourcesheldbyindigenousandlocalcommunities?
Toolsandmechanismstoassistimplementation

WhatistheNagoyaProtocolandwhatisitsobjective?

TheNagoyaProtocolonAccesstoGeneticResourcesandtheFairandEquitableSharingofBenefitsArising
fromtheirUtilization(ABS)totheConventiononBiologicalDiversityisasupplementaryagreementtothe
ConventiononBiologicalDiversity.Itprovidesatransparentlegalframeworkfortheeffectiveimplementationof
oneofthethreeobjectivesoftheCBD:thefairandequitablesharingofbenefitsarisingoutoftheutilizationof
geneticresources.
TheNagoyaProtocolonABSwasadoptedon29October2010inNagoya,Japanandenteredintoforceon12
October2014,90daysafterthedepositofthefiftiethinstrumentofratification.Itsobjectiveisthefairand
equitablesharingofbenefitsarisingfromtheutilizationofgeneticresources,therebycontributingtothe
conservationandsustainableuseofbiodiversity.

WhyistheNagoyaProtocolimportant?

TheNagoyaProtocolwillcreategreaterlegalcertaintyandtransparencyforbothprovidersandusersofgenetic
resourcesby:
Establishingmorepredictableconditionsforaccesstogeneticresources.
Helpingtoensurebenefitsharingwhengeneticresourcesleavethecountryprovidingthegeneticresources

Byhelpingtoensurebenefitsharing,theNagoyaProtocolcreatesincentivestoconserveandsustainablyuse
geneticresources,andthereforeenhancesthecontributionofbiodiversitytodevelopmentandhumanwellbeing.
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AbouttheNagoyaProtocol

WhatdoestheNagoyaProtocolcover?

TheNagoyaProtocolappliestogeneticresourcesthatarecoveredbytheCBD,andtothebenefitsarisingfrom
theirutilization.TheNagoyaProtocolalsocoverstraditionalknowledge(TK)associatedwithgeneticresources
thatarecoveredbytheCBDandthebenefitsarisingfromitsutilization.

WhatarethecoreobligationsoftheNagoyaProtocolwithrespecttogeneticresources?

TheNagoyaProtocolsetsoutcoreobligationsforitscontractingPartiestotakemeasuresinrelationtoaccess
togeneticresources,benefitsharingandcompliance.
Accessobligations
Domesticlevelaccessmeasuresareto:
Createlegalcertainty,clarityandtransparency
Providefairandnonarbitraryrulesandprocedures
Establishclearrulesandproceduresforpriorinformedconsentandmutuallyagreedterms
Provideforissuanceofapermitorequivalentwhenaccessisgranted
Createconditionstopromoteandencourageresearchcontributingtobiodiversityconservationand
sustainableuse
Paydueregardtocasesofpresentorimminentemergenciesthatthreatenhuman,animalorplanthealth
Considertheimportanceofgeneticresourcesforfoodandagricultureforfoodsecurity

Benefitsharingobligations
Domesticlevelbenefitsharingmeasuresaretoprovideforthefairandequitablesharingofbenefitsarisingfrom
theutilizationofgeneticresourceswiththecontractingpartyprovidinggeneticresources.Utilizationincludes
researchanddevelopmentonthegeneticorbiochemicalcompositionofgeneticresources,aswellas
subsequentapplicationsandcommercialization.Sharingissubjecttomutuallyagreedterms.Benefitsmaybe
monetaryornonmonetarysuchasroyaltiesandthesharingofresearchresults.
Complianceobligations
Specificobligationstosupportcompliancewiththedomesticlegislationorregulatoryrequirementsofthe
contractingpartyprovidinggeneticresources,andcontractualobligationsreflectedinmutuallyagreedterms,are
asignificantinnovationoftheNagoyaProtocol.ContractingPartiesareto:
Takemeasuresprovidingthatgeneticresourcesutilizedwithintheirjurisdictionhavebeenaccessedin
accordancewithpriorinformedconsent,andthatmutuallyagreedtermshavebeenestablished,asrequired
byanothercontractingparty
Cooperateincasesofallegedviolationofanothercontractingpartysrequirements
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AbouttheNagoyaProtocol

Encouragecontractualprovisionsondisputeresolutioninmutuallyagreedterms
Ensureanopportunityisavailabletoseekrecourseundertheirlegalsystemswhendisputesarisefrom
mutuallyagreedterms
Takemeasuresregardingaccesstojustice
Takemeasurestomonitortheutilizationofgeneticresourcesaftertheyleaveacountryincludingby
designatingeffectivecheckpointsatanystageofthevaluechain:research,development,innovation,pre
commercializationorcommercialization

HowdoestheNagoyaProtocoladdresstraditionalknowledgeassociatedwithgeneticresources
andgeneticresourcesheldbyindigenousandlocalcommunities?

TheNagoyaProtocoladdressestraditionalknowledgeassociatedwithgeneticresourceswithprovisionson
access,benefitsharingandcompliance.Italsoaddressesgeneticresourceswhereindigenousandlocal
communitieshavetheestablishedrighttograntaccesstothem.ContractingPartiesaretotakemeasuresto
ensurethesecommunitiespriorinformedconsent,andfairandequitablebenefitsharing,keepinginmind
communitylawsandproceduresaswellascustomaryuseandexchange.MoreinformationontheNagoya
ProtocolandtraditionalknowledgecanbefoundontheTraditionalKnowledgeprogrammeofworkwebpage.

Toolsandmechanismstoassistimplementation

TheNagoyaProtocolssuccesswillrequireeffectiveimplementationatthedomesticlevel.Arangeoftoolsand
mechanismsprovidedbytheNagoyaProtocolwillassistcontractingPartiesincluding:
Establishingnationalfocalpoints(NFPs)andcompetentnationalauthorities(CNAs)toserveascontact
pointsforinformation,grantaccessorcooperateonissuesofcompliance
AnAccessandBenefitsharingClearingHousetoshareinformation,suchasdomesticregulatoryABS
requirementsorinformationonNFPsandCNAs
Capacitybuildingtosupportkeyaspectsofimplementation.Basedonacountrysselfassessmentof
nationalneedsandpriorities,thiscanincludecapacityto
DevelopdomesticABSlegislationtoimplementtheNagoyaProtocol
NegotiateMAT
Developincountryresearchcapabilityandinstitutions
Awarenessraising
TechnologyTransfer
TargetedfinancialsupportforcapacitybuildinganddevelopmentinitiativesthroughtheNagoyaProtocols
financialmechanism,theGlobalEnvironmentFacility(GEF)

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