Raising awareness of the importance of genetic resources, traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources and related access and benefit-sharing issues has been recognised as essential to promote the early ratification and implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing.

As part of the Medium-sized project (GEF-MSP) on Capacity building for the early entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, funded by the Global Environment Facility and the Japan Biodiversity Fund, the Secretariat has developed a series of communication materials in order to assist Parties and other stakeholders in their efforts to raise awareness to the Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing within their constituencies. Web-versions of the materials are available below; hard copies can also be made available upon requests addressed to secretariat@cbd.int.

Available awareness-raising materials:

• The ABS information kit
• Policy briefs on the Nagoya Protocol: Bioscience at a crossroads
• CEPA Toolkit including considerations for Access and Benefit-Sharing
• Factsheets on the Nagoya Protocol on ABS
• Materials developed by partners

The ABS Information Kit

Thanks to the generous funding provided by the Government of Germany for capacity-building for access and benefit-sharing, a generic information kit was developed to present the basics of access and benefit-sharing in simple language. Following the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol, the ABS information kit was updated to include information on the Protocol thanks to the generous contribution provided by the GEF-MSP project. The information kit is available in the six UN languages (Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese) and in Portuguese thanks to the Government of Brazil, and contains the following:

• A brochure
• Factsheets on:
  • Access and benefit;
  • Uses of genetic resources;
  • Traditional knowledge;
  • The Bonn Guidelines;
  • National implementation; and
  • The Nagoya Protocol.
• PowerPoint slides: English, French and Spanish

Policy Briefs on the Nagoya Protocol: Bioscience at a crossroads

The Secretariat developed a series of new communication materials as part of a partnership with the United Nations University-Institute of Advanced Studies under the GEF-MSP on Capacity-building for the early entry into force of the Nagoya Protocol.

The materials are meant to provide an overview of the types of ABS-related activities carried out in different sectors (i.e. pharmaceuticals, agriculture, industrial biotech, cosmetics, botanicals and food and beverage) as well as an analysis on the relevance and impact of the Nagoya Protocol for these sectors in light of recent trends and practices. In total, seven factsheets and policy briefs are being developed. All Briefs and Factsheets are available in electronic format.

CEPA Toolkit including considerations for Access and Benefit-Sharing

The Secretariat developed this toolkit on communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) including considerations for access and benefit-sharing (ABS) which contains methodologies, tips, checklists, case models and other materials to help Parties and stakeholders develop innovative awareness-raising strategies to communicate about biodiversity-related issues, and in particular access and benefit-sharing. The toolkit contains general principles on strategic communication, as well as content structured around following communication objectives: how to inform and advocate; how to engage for change and action; and how to collaborate on biodiversity. The toolkit is meant to be a resource for ABS National Focal Points that are dealing with CEPA issues as part of their daily responsibilities. It provides guidance on where, when and how to use a wide range of education and communication interventions.

Users are invited to select from the following communication goals:

• Goal 1: Planning for strategic communication and raising awareness.
• Goal 2: Fostering political will and engaging decision-makers.
• Goal 3: Involving indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and relevant stakeholders.
• Goal 4: Communicating for successful partnerships.

The toolkit also points the user to useful resources for further reading. It offers an opportunity for readers to pick and choose the most relevant sections of the toolkit in light of their particular communication needs at a given time. The toolkit is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Factsheets on the Nagoya Protocol on ABS

A series of 2-page factsheets were developed to provide general information on:

1. Access and benefit-sharing (Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese);
2. The Nagoya Protocol (Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese); and
3. How to become a Party to the Nagoya Protocol (Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese).

The factsheets are meant to provide readers with a broad understanding of the key issues related to the Nagoya Protocol. They are relevant for Governments and stakeholders wishing to raise awareness of the Nagoya Protocol, and are meant to encourage its ratification and effective implementation.

To download all three factsheets, click on the following links: (Arabic, English, Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese).

Materials developed by partners

• Parties and organizations are invited to make available through the Secretariat courtesy translations of the Nagoya Protocol text into local and indigenous languages. Available translations can be found here
• IUCN Explanatory Guide to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing. The main goal of this Explanatory Guide is to facilitate the understanding of the legal obligations of the Parties under the Nagoya Protocol and it serves as an adaptable tool for future ABS capacity-building and awareness raising initiatives, as well as an important reference for countries in their efforts to implement the Nagoya Protocol and operationalize ABS in practice. Available also in French, Spanish and Chinese.
• Audiovisual materials developed by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative
  • ABS simply explained : short animated video clip to explain ABS and the Nagoya Protocol. Available in English, French, and German.
  • People, plants and profits : This twenty-five minutes long film illustrates the basic principles of ABS in the context of the Nagoya Protocol, with the help of three real life cases: Hoodia (South Africa), Argan (Morocco) and Teff (Ethiopia). The film is also available in French.
• ABS Guide Strategic Communications: This Guide offers advice about the role, relevance and use of communication for implementing Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) systems at the national level. It provides an overview of communication considerations, approaches and methods for the different phases of ABS implementation. Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.