Tag Article | Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House

Why is it important for Governments to publish national information in the ABS Clearing-House?

  05 Jul 2018

By publishing national information on the ABS Clearing-House, Parties to the Nagoya Protocol and other governments help both users and providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. 

Users can find the information they need to access genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Providers of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge will find the necessary tools to monitor the utilization of these resources. By sharing reliable and complete information on national ABS measures and requirements through the ABS Clearing-House, countries can help users of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge understand and follow ABS rules and thus enhance compliance with national legislation. The ABS Clearing-House is thus creating opportunities for the development of ABS agreements and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits coming from the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. 

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

Non-Parties to the Protocol are encouraged to share all relevant ABS information through the ABS Clearing-House in the same conditions as Parties do.

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