Montreal, 24 February 2014 – Governments meet in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea this week for discussions which will finalise preparations for the first meeting of the governing body of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization – the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP 1).
The third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ICNP 3) runs from 24-28 February at the same site where the upcoming twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 12) will take place.
The first meeting of COP-MOP 1 is anticipated to take place concurrently with COP 12, in October 2014.
The total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol presently stands at 29. Only 21 more ratifications are needed for the Protocol to enter into force. 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.
Entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol and its operationalization will represent achievement of Aichi Target 16. This will be the first of the 20 targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 to be achieved.
During ICNP3, it is expected that the delegates will discuss and agree on a focused capacity building framework to facilitate implementation of the Protocol including fostering strategic partnerships within and between regions, which will be submitted to COP-MOP for adoption.
Also to be considered is the need for and modalities of a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism. Discussions will be based on the results of an expert meeting which had been mandated by the second meeting of the ICNP in 2012.
At the meeting, governments will view the experience of the pilot phase of the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House (ABS-CH) (http://absch.cbd.int/) and provide feedback. The ABS-CH will serve as a central information exchange mechanism where all relevant information regarding ABS will be shared permitting countries to learn from experiences and approaches to national implementation of the Protocol.
Other discussions at ICNP 3 will focus on monitoring and reporting within the context of Article 29 of the Nagoya Protocol which requires that each party monitor the implementation of its obligations under the Protocol and to report to the COP-MOP on measures taken to implement the Protocol; ICNP 3 will also further examine the draft cooperative procedures and institutional mechanisms to promote compliance with the Nagoya Protocol for the consideration of the COP-MOP.
The meeting will include a unique interactive discussion devoted to the exchange of views on the development, updating and use of sectoral and cross-sectoral model contractual clauses, voluntary codes of conduct, guidelines and best practices and/or standards; and, lastly, an exchange of views on the state of implementation of the Protocol.
Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), said, “this meeting, taking place on the eve of entry into force of the Protocol, will prepare all the measures needed for the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties. I am also looking forward to the sharing of experiences we expect during the meeting – the testimonies and lessons learned on the state of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and on the use of sectoral and cross-sectoral model contractual clauses, voluntary codes of conduct, guidelines and best
practices and/or standards.”
Mr Dias also said “I want to congratulate those who have worked to ensure that the Access and benefit sharing Clearing House is fully operational. This tool is central to the implementation of the Protocol.”
For
additional information, please contact: David Ainsworth on local mobile
82 (0)10 6884 2890 or at david.ainsworth@cbd.int; or Johan Hedlund on
+1 514 287 6670 or at johan.hedlund@cbd.int
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