Notification 2026-075

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am pleased to announce that the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity will convene a workshop entitled “Strengthening ABS Relationships, Information Exchange and Effective Implementation,” in the margins of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 17) and concurrent meetings of the Parties to the Cartagena (CP-MOP 12) and Nagoya Protocols (NP-MOP 6).

The workshop is made possible through the generous financial support of the Government of Japan, and will take place on Sunday, 25 October 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Meridian Expo and Event Centre in Yerevan. 

The Access and Benefit-Sharing Clearing-House (ABS Clearing-House) is the central mechanism established by the Nagoya Protocol for communicating and exchanging information among the actors involved in ABS. It connects provider and user countries, national authorities, checkpoints, indigenous people and local communities, users of genetic resources, and other relevant stakeholders by making national ABS-related information available in a transparent and accessible manner. In doing so, it promotes legal certainty, facilitates cooperation and helps build the trust and strong partnerships necessary for the effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization.

The workshop will highlight the importance of fostering trust and strengthening relationships among access and benefit-sharing actors through effective communication and information-sharing. It will also explore practical approaches and solutions to support the effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, including key access and benefit-sharing concepts, procedures and processes related to access, benefit-sharing and compliance.

Participants who are registered for COP 17 or NP-MOP 6 and wish to attend the workshop are invited to complete the registration form accessible at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/NZEu8Ky8Kn as soon as possible and no later than 12 October 2026. Please note that participation is limited and priority will be given to individuals who confirm their attendance in advance. Kindly also note that the workshop will be conducted in English only.

Further details about the workshop will be made available at: https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2026/parallel-meetings/absch-workshop. Any additional questions, please contact the ABS Clearing-House team at absch@cbd.int. 

Thank you for your continued support to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing.

Please accept, Sir, Madam, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed) Astrid Schomaker

Executive Secretary