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Legal Framework Overview
(LFO)
last updated: 26 Oct 2026
The Ethiopian ABS framework applies nationally across all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, covering all in situ and ex situ genetic resources, their biological parts, derivatives, and associated community knowledge
. The Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) is the sole Competent National Authority responsible for negotiating access agreements, issuing permits, and monitoring compliance
.
Statutory Exemptions: Under Article 4 of Proclamation No. 482/2006, the framework exempts customary sharing, exchange, and use of genetic resources and community knowledge among local communities for subsistence livelihoods
. It also exempts the local sale of biological produce for direct food consumption where no genetic utilization is involved
. In addition, plant genetic resources for food and agriculture listed in Annex I of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA) are governed under the Multilateral System through the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) rather than the domestic bilateral permitting route
EN
To what extent have legislative, administrative or policy measures on ABS been established for this jurisdiction? Yes, all measures are in place
Ethiopia established a comprehensive national ABS regime through the Access to Genetic Resources and Community Knowledge, and Community Rights Proclamation No. 482/2006 and Council of Ministers Regulation No. 169/2009 . Although enacted prior to the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol, these domestic measures comprehensively regulate access, benefit-sharing, community rights, and permit issuance . A legislative revision is currently in its final stages to further modernize these laws, formally designate external sectoral checkpoints, and align national procedures with international reporting mechanisms
EN
Is access to genetic resources subject to prior informed consent (PIC)? Yes, in all cases
Under Article 11 and Article 12(1) of Proclamation No. 482/2006, access to and collection of genetic resources are strictly subject to the written Prior Informed Consent of the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute . Domestic state organs legally mandated to conserve genetic resources are exempt from holding an access permit to collect samples within the country during routine official duties, but they remain strictly prohibited from exporting or transferring any biological material abroad without explicit written permission from EBI
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required for the commercial utilisation of genetic resources? Yes
Any bioprospecting, industrial application, product development, or commercial exploitation requires an Access Permit issued by EBI . An applicant must submit a commercial dossier using the Annex I format under Regulation No. 169/2009, complete an R&D business plan, and undergo a mandatory 30-day public notice in a national newspaper . Access is finalized by concluding a bilateral Access Agreement (MAT) containing both monetary terms, such as upfront fees and royalties, and non-monetary commitments . Foreign commercial applicants must also satisfy statutory safeguards under Article 12 of Proclamation No. 482/2006, including submitting a letter of assurance from their home-country Competent National Authority, conducting field collection accompanied by Ethiopian personnel, and involving local researchers in the work
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary local community exchange, direct food consumption sales, and ITPGRFA Annex I crops accessed under the Multilateral System
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required for the non-commercial utilisation of genetic resources? Yes
Purely academic, scientific, or taxonomic research requires a Special Access Permit under Article 15(1) of Proclamation No. 482/2006 and Articles 11–13 of Regulation No. 169/2009 . This facilitated route is legally restricted to Ethiopian public higher-learning and research institutions and intergovernmental bodies based in Ethiopia . It utilizes a simplified Annex II application and a standardized Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), exempting researchers from commercial economic valuation and the 30-day newspaper public notice . Foreign academic researchers cannot apply standalone in their own name; they must partner with an eligible Ethiopian public host institution . Exporting samples for analysis abroad requires a separate EBI Export Permit, granted only when scientifically justified that the testing cannot be carried out in Ethiopia
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary community exchange, routine conservation collection by mandated domestic public organs, and ITPGRFA Annex I crops
EN
Are there indigenous peoples and local communities in this jurisdiction? Yes
Ethiopia is home to over 80 distinct nationality groups and local communities inhabiting diverse agroecological zones . Under national law, these communities are recognized as the rightful custodians and creators of community knowledge and biological resources, endowed with inalienable rights to control, preserve, and benefit from their heritage
EN
Access to traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources
Are measures in place to ensure that traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources is accessed with the prior informed consent, or approval and involvement, of the indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) that hold the knowledge? Yes
Under Articles 7(1) and 12(2) of Proclamation No. 482/2006 and Articles 21–24 of Regulation No. 169/2009, access to associated traditional knowledge (termed "Community Knowledge") requires dual consent: formal institutional PIC from EBI and community PIC directly from the knowledge-holding community . Community consent is formally coordinated, reviewed, and approved through local government structures, including the Woreda (District) Council or Regional Council Committees, ensuring community involvement is verified before access is granted
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required to access traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources for commercial utilisation? Yes
Any commercial application of traditional knowledge requires an Access Permit, community PIC, and a negotiated Access Agreement (MAT) . EBI oversees the process to ensure that fair monetary and non-monetary benefit-sharing arrangements are secured, with communities receiving a statutory share of the financial rewards derived from their knowledge
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary exchange and traditional practices among local communities are exempt
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required to access traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources for non-commercial utilisation? Yes
Documenting, researching, or publishing community knowledge for non-commercial academic research requires prior community consent and a research permit issued by EBI . This ensures that orally transmitted or unwritten knowledge is fully safeguarded, that the custodian community is formally recognized, and that research findings are shared back with the community
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary use and traditional exchange within local communities
EN
Access to genetic resources held by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs)
Does the applicable domestic law recognise the right of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in this jurisdiction to grant access to genetic resources? Yes, to some extent
Under Article 5(1) of Proclamation No. 482/2006, ownership of genetic resources is vested in the State and the Ethiopian people, which means formal legal access permits are issued centrally by EBI on behalf of the nation . However, the law provides local communities with the established statutory right under Article 7(1)(d) to demand the restriction or withdrawal of an access permit if the proposed activity is determined to be detrimental to their socio-economic life, cultural values, or local environment
EN
Are measures in place to ensure that access to genetic resources is based on the prior informed consent (PIC), or approval and involvement, of the indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) concerned? Yes, to some extent
While the state provides institutional PIC for the physical genetic resources, the law ensures direct community involvement through the Right to Regulate Access in Part Two of Proclamation No. 482/2006 . Furthermore, Part Three (Articles 21–24) of Regulation No. 169/2009 establishes a structured Community Consent Procedure requiring that local communities are identified, consulted, and give their approval through their local councils whenever collection occurs within communal boundaries
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required for commercial utilization of genetic resources held by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs)? Yes
Commercial collection of genetic resources from community lands requires a standard commercial Access Permit, accompanied by community consultations, local council approval, and an access agreement . Fifty percent of the monetary benefits shared with the state are deposited by law into the national Access Fund to directly support local community development projects
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary local exchange and traditional subsistence use
EN
Is an ABS permit or its equivalent required for non-commercial utilization of genetic resources held by indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs)? Yes
Academic sampling within local communities requires an access permit or MTA, alongside prior community notification and local administration involvement, ensuring that community rights, customary norms, and sacred natural sites are respected
EN
Are there any exceptions to this requirement? Yes
Customary use and traditional exchange among community members
EN
Do the ABS measures for this jurisdiction promote and encourage research that contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity? Yes
Ethiopia’s legal framework promotes academic and conservation research by providing streamlined application pathways, standardized material transfer terms, and active support for collaborative scientific studies conducted with domestic universities and research institutes
EN
Does this include simplified access measures for non-commercial research? Yes
Article 15(1) of Proclamation No. 482/2006 and Articles 11–13 of Regulation No. 169/2009 establish the Special Access Permit, a simplified administrative route for domestic public research and higher-learning institutions that waives commercial economic evaluations and newspaper public notices
EN
Do the ABS measures for this jurisdiction take account of present or imminent emergencies that threaten or damage human, animal or plant health? No
The existing ABS laws, enacted in 2006 and 2009, do not contain specific statutory provisions addressing imminent emergencies or expedited health-related access . Ethiopia’s national ABS framework is currently undergoing a comprehensive legislative revision to harmonize with the Nagoya Protocol, which will formally incorporate provisions for expeditious access during public health or sanitary emergencies
EN
Do the ABS measures for this jurisdiction take into account the importance of genetic resources for food and agriculture and their special role in food security? Yes
Ethiopia recognizes the critical role of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and integrated the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) into its legal system via Proclamation No. 330/2003 . Article 15(2) of Proclamation No. 482/2006 and Articles 14–20 of Regulation No. 169/2009 establish a dedicated regulatory procedure for the Multilateral System (MLS), facilitating access to Annex I crop and forage species through the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA)
EN
Are appropriate, effective and proportionate measures in place to ensure that genetic resources utilised in this jurisdiction were accessed in accordance with the prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms required by the domestic ABS legislation or regulatory requirements of the other Party? Yes, to some extent
Ethiopia has established a robust domestic monitoring system primarily focused on controlling access to its own genetic resources and enforcing compliance through a centralized permit system administered by EBI . While current laws require users to disclose the source of biological materials, specific user-country compliance provisions and formal transboundary enforcement mechanisms regarding foreign-sourced genetic resources are currently being strengthened in the revised draft legislation
EN
Has your country taken appropriate, effective and proportionate measures to provide that traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources utilized within its jurisdiction has been accessed with the prior informed consent or approval and involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities and that mutually agreed terms have been established in accordance with the domestic requirements of the Party where such indigenous peoples and local communities are located? Yes, to some extent
The protection of community knowledge is a core pillar of the Proclamation No. 482/2006, which stipulates in Articles 7 and 9 that access to such knowledge is subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) of the concerned community and that they must share in the benefits. However, the institutional capacity to document and link traditional knowledge to specific holders remains a challenge. Similar to Article 15 of the Nagoya Protocol, full compliance measures for traditional knowledge sourced from other Parties are being incorporated into the ongoing revision of the national ABS law
EN
Are users of genetic resources required to provide the information specified in Article 17, paragraph 1(a)(i), to one or more designated checkpoints in this jurisdiction? No
Ethiopia has not yet designated formal checkpoints as defined under the Protocol. While the EBI performs monitoring functions through its internal database and the Access Register established by Article 34 of Regulation No. 169/2009, the official designation of external checkpoints (such as customs or patent offices) is pending the ratification of the revised ABS legal framework
EN
Under Article 2(1) of Proclamation No. 482/2006, access and utilization are broadly defined as the collection, acquisition, transfer, or use of genetic resources and associated community knowledge
. This covers basic taxonomy, species identification, DNA/RNA sequencing, biochemical screening, bioprospecting, and the commercial development of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agricultural inputs
An ABS permit is required prior to any physical collection or acquisition of biological or genetic resources in Ethiopia, and prior to initiating laboratory research on ex situ specimens. In addition, taking or shipping any biological sample out of the country strictly requires an official Export Permit issued by EBI.
Non-commercial utilization covers purely academic, scientific, or taxonomic research that carries no commercial intent, utilizing a simplified Special Access Permit and an MTA. Commercial utilization involves bioprospecting, product formulation, or market-driven R&D, which requires an Annex I application, a mandatory 30-day public newspaper notice, and a bilaterally negotiated Access Agreement (MAT) containing monetary and non-monetary benefit-sharing terms
Automatic conversion is strictly prohibited under Ethiopian law. If an academic researcher identifies commercial potential, all research must immediately halt, EBI must be formally notified, and the user must submit a new commercial application under Annex I to negotiate a commercial MAT.
The initial applicant who signs the access agreement is legally bound and responsible for compliance. Biological material, derivatives, or data cannot be transferred to third parties along the value chain without explicit prior written authorization or an authorized sub-agreement from EBI, ensuring all subsequent users remain bound by ABS obligations.
Referred to as "Community Knowledge" in Ethiopian legislation, it comprises the cumulative knowledge, innovations, practices, and technologies created, preserved, and used by local communities regarding the conservation and use of biological resources. It is legally protected whether it is documented in writing or held orally.
Agreements incorporate both monetary and non-monetary benefits. Monetary terms include upfront access payments, annual maintenance fees, milestone payments, and royalties on net sales, with 50% of the State's monetary share directed into the national Access Fund to finance community-approved development projects. Non-monetary benefits include joint scientific collaboration, training Ethiopian researchers, institutional capacity building, and joint intellectual property co-ownership.
Non-compliance can lead to administrative sanctions such as permit revocation and the confiscation of collected biological samples. Furthermore, accessing or exporting genetic resources without a valid permit constitutes a serious criminal offense under Article 35 of Proclamation No. 482/2006, punishable by rigorous imprisonment and substantial monetary fines.
- Digital Applications: Applicants can submit and track applications digitally through the national government e-services portal (MESOB / E-Service).
- Competent National Authority Contact: Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) Comoros Street, P.O. Box 30724, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: +251 116 61 22 44 / +251 920 329 171 Email: info@ebi.gov.et; Website: www.ebi.gov.et
