Young, Tomme

Fewer than 11% of CBD Parties have adopted substantive ABS law, and nearly all of these are developing countries, focusing almost entirely on the ‘access’ side of the equation. Most of the CBD’s specific ABS obligations, however, relate to the other side of the equation – benefit sharing. This book considers the full range of ABS obligations, and how existing tools in user countries’ national law can be used to achieve the CBD’s third objective.

Contracts relating to scientific/technical development are effective only where they are enforceable or valid under relevant law, can be practically implemented by the Parties, and address matters arising from the relevant scientific/technical issues and practices. Negotiators are often hampered by their lack of knowledge of contractual law (and special legal concerns in the country in which users are located), and of the bio-technological techniques used to derive new molecules and genes or genetic or biochemical formulae from biological samples.

This final book of the ABS project provides focused research papers on issues that have not been agreed internationally, and which were beyond the scope of the first four ABS books: 1) ABS issues in sectoral ministries and instruments; 2) legal issues and experiences relevant to designing an ABS framework that is functional within countries and across boundaries; 3) relationships between ABS and international frameworks addressing social welfare issues; 4) concerns regarding inter-framework issues and relationships; and 5) the need to include ABS components relating to technology transfer

Moins de 11 % des Parties à la CDB ont adopté des lois de fond sur l'ABS et presque toutes sont des pays en développement qui ont surtout privilégié le terme « accès » de l'équation. Or, la plupart des obligations ABS spécifiques énoncées par la CDB ont trait à l'autre terme de l'équation - le partage des avantages. Le présent ouvrage se penche sur l'ensemble de la gamme des obligations ABS et étudie comment les instruments existants dans le droit national des pays utilisateurs peuvent permettre d'atteindre le troisième objectif de la CDB.

Fewer than 11% of CBD Parties have adopted substantive ABS law, and nearly all of these are developing countries, focusing almost entirely on the ‘access’ side of the equation. Most of the CBD’s specific ABS obligations, however, relate to the other side of the equation – benefit sharing. This book considers the full range of ABS obligations, and how existing tools in user countries’ national law can be used to achieve the CBD’s third objective.

Biosafety and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are amongst the most complex of biodiversity issues: from species conservation, to sustainable livelihoods, to socio-cultural policy. The greatest GMO-related need shared by all decision-makers - governmental, civil society, and industrial - is for unbiased background information and a framework for evaluating new evidence.