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The GEF has invested more than $60 million and leveraged $120 million in co-financing in over 100 countries in support of the third objective of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD): “the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding”.
The market at Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
The GEF started supporting capacity building projects on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS for short) in 2003, following the request by the COP to provide financial resources to assist Parties with the implementation of the Bonn Guidelines, the voluntary provisions that allowed countries to implement the provisions of the Convention on ABS.
The GEF created a strategic objective and strategic program in the GEF biodiversity strategy for GEF-4 (2007-2010) titled “Building Capacity on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS)”. Under this strategy, the GEF supported a number of national and regional projects to establish measures that promote access and benefit sharing agreements that recognize the core ABS principles of Prior Informed Consent (PIC), Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits. With the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol in 2010, the GEF provided financial resources for the ratification and implementation of the protocol through its GEF-5 Biodiversity Strategy (2010- 2014) and the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF) established in 2011.
The NPIF supported a number of projects with pilots in support of existing partnerships and joint ventures of governments, the private sector, and national and international academic and research institutions. These groups are searching for genetic resources of interest to various sectors including pharmaceuticals, crop-protection, manufacturing/textile, cosmetics and food-and-beverages.
Terrestrial and marine organisms are being used as the source of genetic material and obtained in National or Regional Parks or through engagement with private owners, indigenous peoples and local communities, all with appropriate consent from the legitimate authorities.
The GEF will continue providing financial and technical assistance for the ratification and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and for pilot projects leading to legally binding agreements between users and providers of genetic resources during its 6th funding cycle (2014-2018).
Within this context the GEF is proud to announce the coming into effect of the Nagoya Protocol at the COP 12 of the Convention on Biodiversity.
To read the full Press Release please click on the following link: http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2014/pr-2014-10-12-nagoya-protocol-en.pdf
To read more about the GEF work on ABS and the Nagoya Protocol click on the publication below
Media Contact:
Christian Hofer (GEF)
Tel : 1 202 413 4185
chofer@thegef.org
