Developments related to ABS indicators

At the second resumed session of the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Parties adopted decision 16/31 on Mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting and review, building on decision 15/5 on the monitoring framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The monitoring framework is instrumental in implementing the GBF and is composed of the following groups of indicators (Annex I of the decision):

• Headline indicators
• Binary indicators
• Component indicators
• Complementary indicators

The following provides an overview of the different groups of indictors for ABS.

Headline Indicators on ABS

Headline indicators are high-level indicators, which capture the overall scope of the goals and targets of the GBF to be used for planning and tracking progress. They are nationally, regionally and globally relevant indicators validated by Parties. These indicators can also be used for communication purposes. Through decision 16/31, Parties adopted the following technical updates to the headline indicators for Goal C and Target 13 for the GBF:

• C.1 Monetary benefits received in accordance with applicable internationally agreed access and benefit-sharing instruments
• C.2 Non-monetary benefits arising from applicable international access and benefit-sharing instruments

More information on the methodology, and details for collecting information can be found on the metadata sheets.

Binary Indicators on ABS

Binary indicators are global level indicators collated from binary yes/no responses to be included in the national reporting template. They will provide a count of the number of countries having undertaken specified activities.The global indicator derived from binary reporting for Goal C and Target 13 proposed in the monitoring framework for the GBF reads as follows:

• Number of countries that have taken effective legal, policy, administrative and capacity-building measures at all levels, as appropriate, to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the utilization of genetic resources and from digital sequence information on genetic resources, as well as traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.

Parties adopted the following questions under this indicator through decision 16/31 (Annex III):

• 13.1 Does your country have effective legal, administrative and policy measures to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from the utilization of genetic resources?
• 13.2 Does your country have capacity-building measures to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from the utilization of genetic resources?
• 13.3. Has your country taken administrative, policy or legislative measures pursuant to the operationalization of the multilateral mechanism in decision 16/2?
• 13.4 Do the measures mentioned in questions 13.1 and 13.2 include the utilization of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources?
• 13.5 Does your country monitor the monetary benefits received from the utilization of genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources that were accessed from your country?
• 13.6 Does your country monitor the non-monetary benefits received from the utilization of genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources that were accessed from your country?
• 13.7. Does your country have measures to ensure the fair and equitable benefit-sharing arising from the utilization of genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources that were accessed in another country?

Component Indicators on ABS

The component indicator contained in the monitoring framework for Target 13 of the GBF is as follows:

• Total number of internationally recognized certificates published in the ABS Clearing-House.

Complementary Indicators on ABS

The complementary indicators contained in the monitoring framework for Goal C and Target 13 of the GBF are as follows: