Djibouti becomes sixty-fifth signatory of the Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources

Montreal, 21 October 2011 –
Djibouti, on 19 October 2011, became the latest country to sign the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), bringing the number of signatories to sixty-five. The Protocol will enter into force 90 days after deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification.
 
Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: “Djibouti’s signature of the Nagoya Protocol is another clear sign of the growing international commitment to this unique legal instrument. I urge all signatories to expedite the ratification process so as to allow the Nagoya Protocol to enter into force in 2012, as a contribution to the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, the Rio+20 meeting and the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which will coincide with the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention.”
 
The entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol will provide greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of genetic resources, creating a framework that promotes the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge while strengthening the opportunities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use. Hence, the Protocol will create new incentives to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing financial support for the early entry into force and effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol through a medium-sized project of US$ 1 million, under which a series of awareness-raising and capacity-building activities are being executed by the Convention Secretariat. In addition, the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund was established by GEF with an initial financial contribution of US$ 12.5 million from Japan.