Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS):
India has emerged as the global leader in biodiversity compliance, issuing 3,561 Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs), which accounts for over 56% of the total certificates issued worldwide under the Nagoya Protocol.
- The Nagoya Protocol is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
- Adopted in October 29, 2010, in Nagoya, Japan.
- Entered into Force: October 12, 2014.
- There are currently 141 parties to the Nagoya Protocol (including 140 UN member states and the European Union).
- India signed the protocol in 2011 and ratified it in 2012.
- India implements the protocol through the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Biological Diversity Rules, 2004.
- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), headquartered in Chennai, acts as the primary body.
- Key Features:
- It Creates predictable conditions for access to genetic resources, ensuring Prior Informed Consent (PIC) is obtained from the provider country.
- It Ensures that benefits (monetary or non-monetary) are shared fairly with the provider country based on Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT).
- It Requires parties to take measures to ensure that genetic resources utilized within their jurisdiction have been accessed in accordance with the provider country’s laws.
- It Covers traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources held by indigenous and local communities.
- An IT platform for exchanging information to help implement the protocol.
Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs):
- An IRCC is an electronic permit generated through the ABS Clearing-House that serves as official evidence that a user has legally accessed a genetic resource.
- It proves that Prior Informed Consent (PIC) was granted and Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) were established between the user (e.g., a researcher or company) and the provider (e.g., a local community or national government).
