The Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)

Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) stands for the access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization. It is one of the three overreaching objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing is a binding international agreement that entered into force on the 12th October 2014 and provides a legal framework for the implementation of the ABS-objective of the CBD. In the EU, the Nagoya Protocol is implemented by the EU-Regulation 511/2014 (entered into force on 12.10.2014). In Germany, the EU-Regulation is implemented by the “Act Implementing the Obligations under the Nagoya Protocol and Transposing Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014”, which entered into force on 01.06.2016.

ZFMK is a member of CETAF (Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities), and follows CETAF’s Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Access and Benefit-Sharing to comply with national and international regulations on the management of genetic resources through the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol.

Additional Information

• The German Nagoya Protocol Hub helps to understand obligations arising from the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and offers a lot of useful information about ABS.

• The ABS-Clearing House Website provides important information, e.g. if a country is party to the Nagoya-Protocol or if it applies access legislation. It also provides contact details for all countries.
• The German Research Foundation (DFG) provides guidelines to facilitate applications for DFG funding in the area of CBD-relevant research projects conducted in foreign countries that are parties to the CBD