The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing

Access and Benefit-sharing // Monitoring and reporting
Monday // 7.22.2024

Monitoring and reporting

Article 29 of the Nagoya Protocol requires Parties to monitor implementation of their obligations under the Protocol, at intervals and in the format to be determined by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP), and to report to the COP-MOP on measures taken to implement the Protocol.

In decision NP-1/3, the COP-MOP requested Parties to submit an interim national report on the implementation of their obligations under the Nagoya Protocol and welcomed the submission of relevant information by non-Parties to the Protocol. Interim national reports were due by 1 November 2017.

In decision NP-4/3, the COP-MOP adopted the guidelines and format for submission of the first national report on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol as contained in the annex to this decision and requested Parties to submit a first national report on the implementation of their obligations under the Nagoya Protocol at the same time as the seventh national reports under the Convention are due (by 28 February 2026).

  • SUMMARY
  • DECISIONS
  • DOCUMENTS
  • NOTIFICATIONS
  • NATIONAL REPORTS

Developments since the entry into force of the Protocol

COP-MOP 4 (December 2022)

At its fourth meeting, the COP-MOP considered a note by the Executive Secretary including a revised reporting format for the first national report on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol as established in decision NP-3/4, taking into account comments received, input from the Compliance Committee, the framework of indicators contained in annex to decision NP-3/1, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the alignment of national reports under the Convention and its Protocols, while bearing in mind the need for continuity in the format in order to measure progress in implementation.

COP-MOP adopted decision NP-4/3, welcoming COP decision 15/6 and agreed to maintain the synchronized national reporting cycle foreseen in decisions 14/27 and NP-3/4. Furthermore, the COP-MOP took note of the monitoring framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and its proposed indicators related to access and benefit-sharing, and welcomes the process set forth in decision 15/5. In decision NP-4/3, COP-MOP also adopted the guidelines and format for submission of the first national report on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol as contained in the annex to this decision and requested the Executive Secretary to make the guidelines and the format for the first national report available through the ABS Clearing-House.

Further, COP-MOP requested Parties to submit a first national report on the implementation of their obligations under the Nagoya Protocol, and welcomed submissions of relevant information by non-Parties: (a) in an official language of the United Nations; (b) through the ABS Clearing-House; (c) at the same time as the seventh national reports under the Convention are due.

COP-MOP requested the Executive Secretary to assist Parties for which direct online submission of the national report through the ABS Clearing-House is technically not feasible to publish their reports on the ABS Clearing-House.

It also requested the Executive Secretary to consolidate information contained in first national reports and information made available by Parties through the ABS Clearing-House for the consideration of the COP-MOP at its sixth meeting as well as to make information shared by non-Parties and non-State actors, as appropriate, available for the information of the meeting, as a contribution to the second assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol.

Finally, the COP-MOP decided to keep the format of the national report under review, based on feedback received from Parties and the experience gained and to reflect all relevant articles of the Nagoya Protocol in the reporting format.

COP-MOP 4 Decision and Relevant Documents

COP-MOP 3 (November 2018)

At its third meeting, COP-MOP considered a note by the Executive Secretary on monitoring and reporting and adopted decision NP-3/4. In the decision, COP-MOP welcomed the fact that at the time of the meeting 82 of the 100 Parties that had the obligation to report had submitted their interim national report, and also welcomed submissions by non-Parties. COP-MOP also urged Parties that have not yet submitted their interim national report to do so as soon as possible. All reports submitted are available on the ABS Clearing-House.

In preparation for the submission of the next national report, COP-MOP requested the Executive Secretary to review the reporting format for its consideration at its fourth meeting, taking into account comments received, input from the Compliance Committee, the framework of indicators contained in decision NP-3/1, the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the alignment of national reports under the Convention and its Protocols, while bearing in mind the need for continuity in the format in order to measure progress in implementation.

Recognizing the importance of improving the alignment of national reporting under the Convention and its Protocols, COP-MOP accepted the invitation of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention contained in decision 14/27, and agreed to have a synchronized national reporting cycle commencing in 2023. Therefore, COP-MOP decided to revisit the issue of intervals for reporting at the sixth meeting of COP-MOP, taking into account the alignment of national reports under the Convention and its Protocols and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

COP-MOP 3 Decision and Relevant Documents

Meeting of SBI-2 (July 2018)

As requested by COP-MOP 2, the Executive Secretary consolidated the information contained in the interim national reports received and information published in the ABS Clearing-House as a contribution to the first assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol, pursuant to Article 31 of the Protocol.

The following documents were prepared with the information submitted as of 22 February 2018:
  • Analysis of information contained in the interim national reports and information published in the ABS Clearing-House - CBD/SBI/2/INF/3
  • Statistical overview of the answers provided in the interim national report for the Nagoya Protocol - CBD/SBI/2/INF/4

At its second meeting, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation considered the analysis and information provided by the Executive Secretary in the context of the first assessment and review of the Nagoya Protocol and submitted its findings and recommendations for the consideration of the Parties to the Protocol at their third meeting. The Subsidiary Body on Implementation also reviewed proposals for the alignment of national reporting under the Convention and its Protocols (CBD/SBI/2/12) and agreed on a recommendation containing draft decisions for the governing bodies of the Convention and its Protocols.

COP-MOP 1 (October 2014)

At its first meeting, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol (COP-MOP) considered the document and draft format prepared by the Executive Secretary (UNEP/CBD/NP/COP-MOP/1/3) and adopted decision NP-1/3 which includes the agreed guidelines and format for submission of the interim national report on the implementation of the Protocol. In the decision, the COP-MOP requested Parties to submit an interim national report on the implementation of their obligations under the Protocol and welcomed the submission of relevant information by non-Parties.

Pursuant to decision NP-1/3, the Executive Secretary is to consolidate the information contained in the interim national reports and information published in the ABS Clearing-House for the consideration of the third meeting of the COP-MOP, as a contribution to the first assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol.

COP-MOP 1 Decision and Relevant Documents

Developments prior to the entry into force of the Protocol

Prior to the entry into force of the Protocol, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol (ICNP), was established by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (decision X/1) to undertake the preparations for the first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.

ICNP-3 (February 2014)

At its third meeting, the ICNP considered document UNEP/CBD/ICNP/3/9 and adopted recommendation 3/7. The recommendation requested the Executive Secretary to prepare a draft format for an interim national report which would: (a) avoid duplication in relation to the submission of information already made available through the ABS Clearing-House and national reports under the CBD; (b) consist of simple structured questions allowing for flexibility to respond to checkboxes, as well as to provide narrative information; and (c) allow for the online and offline submission of information through the ABS Clearing-House.

ICNP Recommendation

Relevant Documents

COP-MOP 4

  • Monitoring and reporting (Article 29) – CBD/NP/MOP/4/7
  • Reference table of revisions made to the format for the first national report under the Nagoya Protocol - CBD/NP/MOP/4/INF/5

COP-MOP 3

  • Monitoring and reporting (Article 29) – CBD/NP/MOP/3/7
  • Analysis of information contained in the interim national reports and information published in the ABS Clearing-House - CBD/SBI/2/INF/3
  • Statistical overview of the answers provided in the interim national report for the Nagoya Protocol - CBD/SBI/2/INF/4

COP-MOP 1

Role of the national reports

National reports can be a useful tool for both Parties and non-Parties to assess the level of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, as well as gaps and needs in terms of capacity, and will assist the COP-MOP in reviewing, on a regular basis, the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and to make, within its mandate, the decisions necessary to promote its effective implementation in accordance with Article 26, paragraph 4.

Information submitted through the national reports can also serve to share experiences, challenges and solutions among countries in relation to the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. In this regard, the national reports can be a valuable tool for building and developing capacity to implement the Protocol and for designing capacity-building activities more effectively. This is an opportunity to identify good practices and constraints in implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.

The information coming from the reports can assist the COP-MOP in reviewing the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol and to make the decisions necessary to promote its effective implementation. In this regard, the interim national reports was one of the main sources of information, together with the ABS Clearing-House, for conducting the first assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Protocol and the information provided informed and was taken into account for the consideration of a number of issues by COP-MOP 3 and other subsidiary bodies.