UNDP-GEF Global ABS Project
Final Report 2017- 2021
"Making ABS work for ALL"
Objective 1
Strengthening legal, policy and institutional capacity
ABS Legal frameworks and the necessary institutional capacities to implement access and benefit sharing measures are the key precondition to successfully implement the Nagoya Protocol and one of the best legacies that the project can leave in a country. In the context and with the support of the project, 7 countries have approved ABS legal measures (and 3 more are at an advanced stage for their approval).
Developing or changing policies present a huge challenge, let alone modifying legal frameworks for the policies to function effectively. Eff orts have focused on assisting countries to develop, strengthen or streamline their legal frameworks and policies on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, and strengthen their capacities to effectively operate the systems that are being established.
In this regard, targets were achieved and overridden in most of the countries and work in progress in the rest.
National abs policy development
21 national ABS framework proposals drafted and submitted for approval to competent authorities.
Click on countries to view information
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or UNDP concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Institutional frameworks for protecting traditional knowledge
All the countries have developed and integrated the measures to protect TK within their draft ABS legal frameworks or developed specific codes of conduct, which makes this target as achieved.
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Draft assessment of TK associated with genetic resources with options on how to protect TK in Albania, Belarus, Sudan, Jordan
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Proposal for the legal protection of TK within the ABS framework for the Dominican Republic National TK policy instrument submitted for approval or adoption in Botswana, Comoros, Ethiopia and Seychelles
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Revised national TK policy instruments submitted for approval or adoption in Kenya and Rwanda
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National TK guidelines developed in Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Mongolia, Samoa and Tajikistan
Improved capacities
The target has been achieved in 17 countries. Most of the countries have clearly exceeded their original percentage of increase, in some cases they have doubled them (Albania, Belarus, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Sudan).
Only 6 countries have not reached their initial target of increase institutional capacity, 4 of them with a very small difference inferior to 5% (Colombia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia) and 2 countries with bigger gap to their targets (Panama, 11.5%; and Seychelles, 18%).
Number of key stakeholders per country trained through the project regarding ABS rules and procedures
The initial target (1,360 stakeholders trained) has been clearly achieved in all the countries with 12,874 stakeholders trained on ABS rules and procedures, the Nagoya Protocol, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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5 countries have been real champions in their ABS trainings and public awareness activities (Botswana: 1,276; Ecuador:1,824; India: 2,086; Myanmar: 1063; and Tajikistan: 1,302).
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From the 13 countries that have submitted gender disaggregated data (total stakeholders: 8,722) 49.3% of the stakeholders trained have been women.
Objective 2
Building trust between users and providers of genetic resources
Through several outreach activities, the project helped to increase knowledge and awareness of ABS systems, business models and their applications, biodiscovery procedures, best practices, challenges and opportunities among the diverse stakeholders. Eff orts focused on helping them to understand their responsibilities and obligations as users and providers of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, or as regulatory authorities, and on developing monitoring and evaluation systems to ensure compliance at all levels.
Bioprospection efforts, commercial agreements and ethical codes of conduct
33 out of 24 initially expected biodiscovery projects have been supported by 22 countries
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10 out 22 countriesHave signed 38 ABS commercial agreements (Colombia, 18; Dominican Republic, 3; Ethiopia, 6; Kenya, 5; Myanmar, 1; Panama, 1; Seychelles, 1; South Africa, 2; Sudan, 1).
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IndiaMore than 200 commercial permits granted during the project.
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11 Commercial agreementsIn progress (Albania, Belarus, India, Botswana, Comoros, Rwanda, Seycheles, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Samoa)
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18 countriesHave drafted 27 codes of conduct: India, Jordan, Sudan, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Panama, Botswana, Comoros, Ethiopia, Seychelles, Rwanda, Mongolia (3), Myanmar (3), Kazakhstan (3), Tajikistan (3), Samoa (3), Kenya, Egypt.
Users and providers reached through awareness raising campaigns on national ABS frameworks, CBD and the Nagoya Protocol
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25% of users and providersAware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Albania, Belarus, Egypt, India, Jordan, Sudan
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40-50% of users and providersAware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Uruguay, Botswana, Rwanda, Seychelles
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40-60% of users and providersAware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa
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20-40% of users and providersAware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Comoros
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More than 35%Of users and providers aware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Samoa, Tajikistan
Objective 3
Capacity-building of indigenous and local communities
Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the centre of ABS because they are not only the custodians of biodiversity but are also the holders of traditional knowledge that directly leads researchers to the potential uses and characteristics of associated genetic resources. Their participation is essential in identifying new and existing sources of genetic resources and documenting information regarding their properties and possible uses.
ABS Biocultural Protocols and/or Traditional Knowledge registries per country
Objective: 24 Biocultural Community Protocols (BCPs) developed in 18 countries
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28 BCPsHave been developed in 15 countries.
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BCP in progressSon concluysion: Botswana (1), Rwanda (1), Seychelles (1)
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11 Commercial BCP developedIn Egypt (1), Jordan (1), Dominican Republic (1), Honduras (1), Panama (1), Comoros (1), Ethiopia (1), Kenya (1), South Africa (1), Ecuador (5), Kazakhstan (2), Mongolia (2), Myanmar (2), Samoa (2), Tajikistan (2), Sudan (4).
Technical assistance through the Global ABS Community
43 (original target 15) technical assistances to requirements on ABS:
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8 face to faceRegional community of practice workshops
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8 technical assistancesTo countries of the project, without including the technical support missions conducted to the different countries
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8 missions and activitiesTo support 7 countries outside the project 19 activities to support other organizations and initiatives outside the project
Objective 4
Community of practice to strengthen global cooperation
Multisectoral collaboration is very important for attaining and sustaining successes from a global project like the Global ABS. To facilitate bilateral and multilateral collaboration among countries at the regional and global levels, the project promoted a global cooperation framework on ABS through the Global ABS Community, a knowledge sharing platform for governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, research and academic institutions, private sector entities, and other stakeholders worldwide. The aim is to enrich ABS knowledge production and sharing at the global level and thus strengthen capacities to implement ABS mechanisms under the Nagoya Protocol.
Knowledge Products generated
35 (original target 20)
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2 books“Access to genetic resources and benefit sharing. Theory to Practice under the Nagoya Protocol”, June 2021; and “ABS is genetic resources for sustainable development”, November 2018
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1 toolkitMainstreaming Gender into ABS Value Chains
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1 reportDesign of a pilot project to test blockchain technology and smart contracts on ABS
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1 methodological guidanceMethodological guidance for the design and implementation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys on ABS, July 2020
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1 online course4 online modules “Training on Traditional Knowledge and the Nagoya Protocol”, November 2020
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1 online moduleGender and biodiversity, February 2020
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1 systematization of an international symposiumSystematization of the I International Symposium on the Conservation of Amphibians in Ecuador and sustainable use of their genetic resources, February 2020
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6 Photo essaysShowcasing the stories of the project in different countries, as well as the added value of volunteerism in the implementation of Access and Benefit Sharing in Latin America and the Caribbean
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1 Global ABS ConferenceThe ABS we ALL need, 7 sessions, November 2020
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1 Webinar seriesCustodians of Biodiversity, 4 sessions, August 2020
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14 technical webinars
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2 online awareness raising campaignsGlobal Campaign to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science; and Global campaign to celebrate the 18th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
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3 side events at COP 14 of the CBDSharm El-Sheik, Egypt, November 2018
Global and regional events hosted
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Global ABS Conference 202029 October- 25 November 2020: organized in partnership with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in collaboration with the Governments of Japan and Jordan, and other partners.
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Webinar Series “Custodians of Biodiversity”August 4th to August 7th 2020
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Community of Practice workshopOn the impact of volunteerism on the Access and Benefit Sharing
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Thematic organizedFor the Latin American and the Caribbean region (May 2020)
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Presentation of the pilot projectTo test blockchain technology and smart contracts on ABS (June 17, 2021)
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Book LaunchAccess to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing. Theory to Practice under the Nagoya Protocol (June 23, 2021)