• OBJECTIVE 1: STRENGTHENING THE LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
  • OBJECTIVE 2: BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN USERS AND PROVIDERS OF GENETIC RESOURCES
  • OBJECTIVE 3: CAPACITY BUILDING OF INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES
  • OBJECTIVE 4: COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL COOPERATION

UNDP-GEF Global ABS Project

Final Report 2017- 2021

"Making ABS work for ALL"

OBJECTIVE 1: STRENGTHENING THE LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
OBJECTIVE 2: BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN USERS AND PROVIDERS OF GENETIC RESOURCES
OBJECTIVE 3: CAPACITY BUILDING OF INDIGENOUS AND OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES
OBJECTIVE 4: COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO STRENGTHEN GLOBAL COOPERATION
Final-report-v12

UNDP-GEF Global ABS Project​

Final Report 2017- 2021​

To read more, please download the report.

Download

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.

  • Draft assessment of TK associated with genetic resources with options on how to protect TK in Albania, Belarus, Sudan, Jordan
  • 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
  • Revised national TK policy instruments submitted for approval or adoption in Kenya and Rwanda
  • 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).

  • 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).
  • 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

  • 10 out 22 countries
    Have 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).
  • India
    More than 200 commercial permits granted during the project.
  • 11 Commercial agreements
    In progress (Albania, Belarus, India, Botswana, Comoros, Rwanda, Seycheles, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Samoa)
  • 18 countries
    Have 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

  • 25% of users and providers
    Aware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Albania, Belarus, Egypt, India, Jordan, Sudan
  • 40-50% of users and providers
    Aware 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
  • 40-60% of users and providers
    Aware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa
  • 20-40% of users and providers
    Aware of the National law and CBD and NP provisions related to ABS and TK in Comoros
  • 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

  • 28 BCPs
    Have been developed in 15 countries.
  • BCP in progress
    Son concluysion: Botswana (1), Rwanda (1), Seychelles  (1)
  • 11 Commercial BCP developed
    In 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:

  • 8 face to face
    Regional community of practice workshops
  • 8 technical assistances
    To countries of the project, without including the technical support missions conducted to the different countries
  • 8 missions and activities
    To 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)

  • 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
  • 1 toolkit
    Mainstreaming Gender into ABS Value Chains
  • 1 report
    Design of a pilot project to test blockchain technology and smart contracts on ABS
  • 1 methodological guidance
    Methodological guidance for the design and implementation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) surveys on ABS, July 2020
  • 1 online course
    4 online modules “Training on Traditional Knowledge and the Nagoya Protocol”, November 2020
  • 1 online module
    Gender and biodiversity, February 2020
  • 1 systematization of an international symposium
    Systematization of the I International Symposium on the Conservation of Amphibians in Ecuador and sustainable use of their genetic resources, February 2020
  • 6 Photo essays
    Showcasing 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
  • 1 Global ABS Conference
    The ABS we ALL need, 7 sessions, November 2020
  • 1 Webinar series
    Custodians of Biodiversity, 4 sessions, August 2020
  • 14 technical webinars
  • 2 online awareness raising campaigns
    Global 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
  • 3 side events at COP 14 of the CBD
    Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, November 2018

Global and regional events hosted

  • Global ABS Conference 2020
    29 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.
  • Webinar Series “Custodians of Biodiversity”
    August 4th to August 7th 2020
  • Community of Practice workshop
    On the impact of volunteerism on the Access and Benefit Sharing
  • Thematic organized
    For the Latin American and the Caribbean region (May 2020)
  • Presentation of the pilot project
    To test blockchain technology and smart contracts on ABS (June 17, 2021)
  • Book Launch
    Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing. Theory to Practice under the Nagoya Protocol (June 23, 2021)

Please note: English is the official language of the Global ABS Community. Automatic translation is provided, however no responsibility can be taken by the Community for the accuracy of these translations.

The views and opinions reproduced through the Global ABS Community are those of the members and contributors and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of the United Nations, including the UNDP or their Member States.

en English
ar العربيةzh-CN 简体中文nl Nederlandsen Englishfr Françaisde Deutschit Italianoja 日本語ko 한국어pt Portuguêsru Русскийes Español