Tag Article | Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House

Why is the ABS Clearing House important?

  31 May 2018

The ABS Clearing House facilitates the connection between users and providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. 

The ABS Clearing-House allows providers to share information on contacts and requirements for accessing genetic resources and traditional knowledge through this platform. Users can then easily find information on the ABS Clearing-House on how to access these resources in an organized manner, and all in one convenient location. 

By providing reliable information, the ABS Clearing-House facilitates the connection between users and providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and therefore creating opportunities for the development of ABS agreements, and it also enhances legal certainty for users

The ABS Clearing-House increases the opportunities for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits coming from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

The ABS Clearing House helps users to comply with national ABS measures and requirements.

By sharing reliable and complete information regarding national measures and requirements on ABS through the ABS Clearing-House, countries can help users of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge to understand and follow ABS rules and enhance compliance with national legislation.

The ABS Clearing-House provides tools to help countries monitor the utilization of genetic resources.

Through a centralized and standardized system, the ABS Clearing-House helps providers monitor how their genetic resources are being used throughout the value chain (research, development, innovation, pre-commercialization or commercialization). When a provider country grants access to a genetic resource and publishes information on the permit or equivalent, the ABS Clearing-House automatically generates an internationally recognized certificate of compliance (IRCC). The IRCC helps national checkpoints to collect and communicate the information on the use of genetic resources through the ABS Clearing-House to all those involved in the process. This tool is called checkpoint communiqué. 

The ABS Clearing-House offers reliable and up-to-date information. 

The information available on the ABS Clearing-House follows secure publishing procedures. These procedures ensure that the ABS community has access to accurate information on ABS, making the process of access and utilization of genetic resources more equitable, transparent and reliable.

The ABS Clearing-House promotes awareness raising and capacity-building. 

The ABS community can use the ABS Clearing-House to share experiences in implementing the Nagoya Protocol, as well as to disseminate communication materials and publications on ABS to a wider audience. The ABS Clearing-House can also play an important role in building capacity to implement the Protocol and providing easy access to best practices and lessons learned.

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