Progress Made in CDB Rules on Benefit Sharing

The Cali meeting made headway with a “draft protocol” that could be the basis of legally binding rules on ABS to be adopted in October. Nevertheless, there are still disagreements of note, which almost caused the collapse of the meeting.

31 Mar 2010 --- A meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, concluded on Sunday with important progress towards new international rules on access and benefit sharing (ABS).

The Cali meeting made headway with a “draft protocol” that could be the basis of legally binding rules on ABS to be adopted in October. The draft protocol contains all the components for an agreement, addressing issues such as access, benefit sharing, and traditional knowledge. Nevertheless, there are still disagreements of note, which almost caused the collapse of the meeting.

Since 2004, negotiations have focused on a framework to put into practice fair and equitable benefit sharing, one of the objectives of the CBD. Equitable sharing of benefits is based on the recognition of the rights of countries and communities over their resources and knowledge, and is seen as fundamental to protect biodiversity in the context of sustainable development strategies.

Jochen Flasbarth, President of the German Environment Agency and current President of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, said, “Cali marks a major breakthrough to fully implement the Convention on Biological Diversity. 18 years after the Earth Summit we have opened the opportunity for the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits provided by the biodiversity of our one planet…”

The “Beauty of Sourcing with Respect,” a conference organized by UEBT (Union for Ethical BioTrade) in Paris on April 16, will examine the range of implications of these new ABS rules for companies working with natural ingredients. Experts from Germany, Peru, and South Africa will look at the importance and implications of new rules on ABS for companies in the cosmetics and food and beverages sectors. Companies such as Serdex-Bayer Santé Familiale, PhytoTrade Africa, Cognis and Yves Rocher will share their perspectives and approaches to these issues.