Traditional Knowledge Information Portal

Summary

The aim is to assist Parties to achieve target 18 and contribute to Aichi Target 16 of the Strategic Plan for biodiversity, by raising awareness and developing capacity, on how to use the Traditional Knowledge Voluntary Guidelines to develop national arrangements and mechanisms for access to traditional knowledge, including procedures for prior informed consent, and equitable sharing in benefits based on mutually agreed terms, as well as to stop unlawful access of traditional knowledge (TK). As such the trainings will assist Parties to effectively implement the relevant articles of the NP (articles 5, 6, 7, 12, and 17), especially those concerning associated traditional knowledge (ATK) and instances where indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have established right to grant access to genetic resources. In particular the trainings’ will focus in-depth on assisting Parties and IPLCs in exploring mechanisms for the effectively implementation of Article 12, concerning: Community protocols, minimum requirements for mutually agreed terms to secure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources; and model contractual clauses for benefit-sharing arising from the utilization of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.

Objectives:

• a) To strengthen skills, competencies and abilities of trainers and increase knowledge and capacity on traditional knowledge under the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (NP),
• b) To exchange information and experiences on national arrangements and mechanisms for access to traditional knowledge, including procedures for prior informed consent, and equitable sharing in benefits based on mutually agreed terms, as well as to stop unlawful access of traditional knowledge.

Expected results:

As outcomes of the workshop, Parties (national Focal Point for Traditional Knowledge) and indigenous peoples and local communities from developing countries will be able to develop national action plans for TK in order to achieve Aichi Target 18 (refer decision XIII/18 on TK Guidelines) by 2020. It will also contribute to the better understanding of the associated traditional knowledge elements of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (articles 5, 6, 7, 12, 18 and 19) and how to effectively achieve them in the national context. Overall the programme will contribute to achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets 18 and 16.

Justification:

The 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity has adopted its decision XIII/18 regarding the “Mo’otz Kuxtal Voluntary Guidelines for the development of mechanisms, legislation or other appropriate initiatives to ensure the “prior and informed consent”, “free, prior and informed consent” or “approval and involvement”, depending on national circumstances, of indigenous peoples and local communities for accessing their knowledge, innovations and practices, for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of their knowledge, innovations and practices relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and for reporting and preventing unlawful appropriation of traditional knowledge “ (hereinafter referred to as the “TK Voluntary Guidelines”).

Currently, most developing country Parties lack awareness and capacity to implement the TK Voluntary Guidelines and its elements such as: access to TK based on prior and informed consent; fair and equitable sharing of benefits; mutually agree terms; reporting and preventing unlawful appropriation of TK.

Additionally Parties to the Nagoya Protocol face similar challenges in addressing institutional weaknesses to implement articles 5, 6, 7, 12, and 16 of Nagoya Protocol concerning traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources (ATK), as well as in instances where IPLCs have established rights to grant access to genetic resources. This lack of capacity affects the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Target 18 and 16, and also aspects concerning ATK of the Nagoya Protocol. Target 18 calls for TK to be respected and integrated across the work of the Convention, at all relevant levels by 2020 and Target 16 calls for the Protocol to be operational that implying that legislative, administrative or policy measures are adopted to implement the articles of the Protocol. The Programme will contribute to the achievement of Targets 18, 16 and also assist with the implementation of the articles 5, 6, 7, 12, and 16 of the NP with a focus on ATK. The programme will also assist Parties to develop coherent and complementary arrangements for addressing related elements of the TK Guidelines and the relevant articles of the NP.