Side Event
Access and Benefit Sharing: A contextual discussion on Article 8j and Indian Biological Diversity Act 2002 and Rules 2004 - Experiences form UNEP-GEF-MoEFCC project
Organizer
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), India
Date and Time
5 November 2015 18:15 - 19:45
National Biodiversity Authority, India is currently implementing the first National Project on Access and Benefit Sharing under the UNEP-GEF-MoEF Project on “Strengthening the Implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and Rules, 2004, with focus on its Access and Benefit Sharing Provisions”. The GEF project on ABS is the first ever global project - a programmme to access genetic resources, assess their economic value and share the benefits arising out of them among the local people. This project is implemented in the 10 states of India and it is funded by Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and Government of India. The executing organisation includes National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) in collaboration with 10 State Biodiversity Boards, Botanical Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, UNEP-Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (UNEP/DELC), United Nations University-Institute of Advanced studies (UNU-IAS). The main components of the project include: • Identification of biodiversity with potential for ABS and their valuation in selected ecosystems such as forest, agriculture and wetlands. • Development of tools, methodologies, guidelines, frameworks for implementing ABS provisions of the Biological Diversity Act. • Piloting agreements on ABS • Implementation of policy and regulatory frameworks relating to ABS provisions at national level and thereby contribute to international ABS policy issues. • Capacity building for strengthening implementation of the ABS provisions of the BD Act. The side event aims to share its experience on implementation of ABS mechanism with special reference to Article 8j