This methodology for an ABS gap analysis was developed by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative to support strategic planning in its African partner countries, which the ABS Initiative supports in the national implementation of the Nagoya Protocol (NP) and the African Union Strategic and Practical Guidelines for a Coordinated Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in Africa (AU Guidelines).. The suggested methodology can also be applied in other than African contexts; In that case, the reference to the AU Guidelines will be obsolete or can be replaced by other applicable regional guidelines. The methodology seeks to provide a standardised manner in which a country’s existing or emerging national ABS measures can be evaluated to determine to what extent they address the obligations and other provisions set out in the NP and include the guidance provided in the AU Guidelines. The proposed gap analysis should not limit itself to the regulatory system but should aim at analysing the complete ABS system in a country. Besides the development of an effective ABS regulatory framework, this includes the negotiation of effective and enforceable ABS contracts, the establishment of ABS-compliant value chains, and the involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities based on the recognition of their traditional and codified rights.