The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding, thereby contributing to the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components. It was adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its tenth meeting on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The Nagoya Protocol will be open for signature by Parties to the Convention from 2 February 2011 until 1 February 2012 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources is one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. For background information on the Convention's work programme on access and benefit-sharing prior to the adoption of the Nagoya Protocol and information on the negotiations of the Nagoya Protocol, please visit the folowing pages: Background and ABS Developments under the CBD Prior to the Nagoya Protocol.