Information sessions about the Nagoya Protocol and its implication for collections and research

The Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity on "Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization" was adopted in Nagoya in 2010 and subsequently signed by 92 countries. It entered into force in October 2014. It implements the third objective of the Convention on Biological Diversity, generally referred to as "access and benefit sharing" (or “ABS"), thereby contributing to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.

The Nagoya Protocol aims at establishing a clear and transparent legally binding framework determining how researchers and companies who utilise genetic resources and the traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources will obtain access to them.  It further explains how in the future benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources will be shared. In this context, the scientific community has a very important role to play regarding the collection, preservation and use of any genetic material in our collections.

Information sessions are organized to provide researchers with a general overview of the Protocol, address the steps that must be taken when accessing or receiving genetic resources from outside the EU for research purposes, and answer any additional question on this topic.