Governments meet in Geneva to develop a multilateral mechanism to share benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources
At the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Montreal, Canada in December 2022, governments agreed that benefits from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources should be shared fairly and equitably (decision 15/9) and further agreed to establish, as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (decision 15/4), a multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, including a global fund. They agreed that the development and operationalization of this would be according to a fair, transparent, inclusive, participatory, and time-bound process (decision 15/9).
Digital sequence information is a placeholder term to refer to data derived from de-materialized genetic resources. It includes nucleic acid sequence data and potentially other data such as protein sequence data. The traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities associated with the use of genetic resources is also relevant.
DSI is crucial to research in a wide range of contexts, including public health, medicine, plant and animal breeding, evolution research and to the achievement of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This includes its Nagoya Protocol, namely the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.
In Geneva, governments and other stakeholders will conduct their negotiations on the multilateral mechanism based on a synthesis of a compilation of views from governments, indigenous peoples and local communities and other organizations, as well as lessons learned from other international funding mechanisms, compiled through a study.
The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Benefit-sharing from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources will meet a second time, in Montreal, Canada in August 2024, to further the discussions and to make recommendations for consideration and adoption by the Conference of the Parties at its sixteenth meeting (COP 16).
More Information:
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: Target 13
Thematic groupings of issues for further consideration
The Annex to decision 15/9 contains a list of 16 issues for further consideration. To facilitate discussions, the issues have been clustered into groupings.
A number of issues are cross-cutting.
The main points from the synthesis of submitted views and from the compilation of lessons learned are summarized below.
Issues for further consideration from decision 15/9, under this thematic grouping include:
- Triggering points for benefit-sharing
- Contributions to the fund
- Some aspects of:
- Role and interests of industry and academia
Issues for further consideration from decision 15/9, under this thematic grouping include:
- Disbursement of monetary benefits, including information on geographical origin as one of the criteria
- Some aspects of:
- Role, rights and interests of indigenous peoples and local communities, including associated traditional knowledge
Issues for further consideration from decision 15/9, under this thematic grouping include:
- Non-monetary benefit-sharing, including information on geographical origin as one of the criteria
- Capacity development and technology transfer
- Linkages between research and technology and the multilateral mechanism on benefit-sharing
Issues for further consideration from decision 15/9, under this thematic grouping include:
- Governance of the fund
- Monitoring and evaluation and review of effectiveness
- Principles of data governance
- Some aspects of:
- Role, rights and interests of indigenous peoples and local communities, including associated traditional knowledge
- Role and interests of industry and academia
Issues for further consideration from decision 15/9, under this thematic grouping include:
- Potential to voluntarily extend the multilateral mechanism to genetic resources or biological diversity
- Other policy options for the sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, including as identified through further analysis, as referred to in paragraphs 6 and 7 of the decision 15/9
- Interface between national systems and the multilateral mechanism on benefit-sharing
- Relationship with the Nagoya Protocol
- Adaptability of the mechanism to other resource mobilization instruments or funds