Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have made it possible for countries to access their genetic resources by requiring users to obtain prior informed consent (PIC) and accept mutually agreed terms that guarantee benefit sharing. recognized that there is a sovereign right to regulate access to However, the rules for accessing digital sequences of information (DSI) generated from these same sovereign genetic resources are generally unclear. DSI is typically held in an online, open-access database and is used separate from physical access and associated permissions.
DSI addresses issues of concern under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) under the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). is. Discussion under the FAO Committee on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA). International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). These include the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Commission, to name just a few.
Under the CBD, a number of activities and potential policy governance frameworks are implemented based on the principle of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of DSI. This includes the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG), research, informal advisory groups and various informal meetings. During the 15th Conference of the Parties to the CBD, the Parties agreed to establish fundamental principles for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of DSI and to establish a multilateral mechanism for the benefit of digital genetic resources. Decision 15/9 on sequence information was adopted. Sharing using DSI. The decision also establishes a working group to develop how the multilateral fund will operate and address both the technical complexities and challenges that require political compromise between genetic resource provider and user countries. did. The Working Group has met twice so far, and the results of these deliberations will form the basis for decision-making on the DSI at COP 16 this November.
Given the importance of DSI in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, this webinar provided an opportunity for ACP countries participating in the ACP MEAs III program to understand the results of the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Working Group on Benefits. The purpose is to provide an opportunity to Utilizing digital sequence information on genetic resources and sharing expectations at COP-16.
