Article 22. Capacity
1. The Parties shall cooperate in the capacity-building, capacity development and strengthening of human resources and institutional capacities to effectively implement this Protocol in developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition, including through existing global, regional, subregional and national institutions and organizations. In this context, Parties should facilitate the involvement of indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
2. The need of developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition for financial resources in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention shall be taken fully into account for capacity-building and development to implement this Protocol.
3. As a basis for appropriate measures in relation to the implementation of this Protocol, developing country Parties, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States among them, and Parties with economies in transition should identify their national capacity needs and priorities through national capacity self-assessments. In doing so, such Parties should support the capacity needs and priorities of indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders, as identified by them, emphasizing the capacity needs and priorities of women.
4. In support of the implementation of this Protocol, capacity-building and development may address, inter alia, the following key areas:
(a) Capacity to implement, and to comply with the obligations of, this Protocol;
(b) Capacity to negotiate mutually agreed terms;
(c) Capacity to develop, implement and enforce domestic legislative, administrative or policy measures on access and benefit-sharing; and
(d) Capacity of countries to develop their endogenous research capabilities to add value to their own genetic resources.
5. Measures in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 4 above may include, inter alia:
(a) Legal and institutional development;
(b) Promotion of equity and fairness in negotiations, such as training to negotiate mutually agreed terms;
(c) The monitoring and enforcement of compliance;
(d) Employment of best available communication tools and Internet-based systems for access and benefit-sharing activities;
(e) Development and use of valuation methods;
(f) Bioprospecting, associated research and taxonomic studies;
(g) Technology transfer, and infrastructure and technical capacity to make such technology transfer sustainable;
(h) Enhancement of the contribution of access and benefit-sharing activities to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components;
(i) Special measures to increase the capacity of relevant stakeholders in relation to access and benefit-sharing; and
(j) Special measures to increase the capacity of indigenous and local communities with emphasis on enhancing the capacity of women within those communities in relation to access to genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
6. Information on capacity-building and development initiatives at national, regional and international levels, undertaken in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 5 above, should be provided to the Access and Benefit-sharing Clearing-House with a view to promoting synergy and coordination on capacity-building and development for access and benefit-sharing.
