Landmark treaty on genetic resources surpasses halfway mark to entry into force

Montreal, 20 December 2013 – With a new ratification, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is ending the year with another step toward entry into force. The recent ratification by Egypt brings to 26 the total number of ratifications to the ground-breaking treaty under the umbrella of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This is more than half of the 50 ratifications needed for the Protocol to enter into force.

Egypt becomes the eleventh African country to ratify the Nagoya Protocol. Its support underlines the importance of this instrument both for obtaining access to genetic resources and for sharing benefits arising from their use.

“The ratification by Egypt maintains the momentum toward entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol in time for the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, to be hosted by the Republic of Korea in October 2014,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD Executive Secretary. “This ratification further confirms the strong commitment by Parties for this Protocol and its objective of contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity through access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits arising from their use. We look forward to additional countries ratifying the Protocol early in 2014.”

The Nagoya Protocol will enter into force on the 90th day after the date of deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Egypt joins Albania, Bhutan, Botswana, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Norway, Panama, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, the Syrian Arab Republic and Tajikistan as countries that have ratified or acceded to the landmark treaty.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as part of his message for the 2013 International Day for Biological Diversity called “on all Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity who have not already done so, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, and therefore help us all to work toward the future we want.”

His statement of support follows on his recent letter to all Heads of State/Government highlighting the valuable contribution that the Protocol can make to sustainable development and urging ratification at the earliest opportunity so that the international community can move to the implementation phase. At the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity, held 27 to 31 May 2013, the Ministers of Environment of Norway and India as well as the CBD Executive Secretary encouraged Parties to the Convention to expedite their national processes towards the ratification of the Nagoya Protocol and recalled that ratifying would enable countries to participate as Parties in the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol and to play an important role in the decision-making process to support its implementation.

The significance of the Nagoya Protocol was also highlighted during a special joint briefing event to the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on 30 October 2013. Further information on how to become a Party to the Protocol is available at: www.cbd.int/abs/becomingparty/