Access and Benefit Sharing
Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS, in German access to genetic resources and fair benefit sharing ) is a mechanism introduced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 . After ABS was a main topic of the CBD-COP 9 in Bonn in 2008, the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and balanced sharing of the benefits from their use was adopted in 2010 . The Nagoya Protocol entered into force 90 days after the 50th instrument of ratification was deposited on October 12, 2014.
In addition to access to genetic resources, ABS is about the fair compensation of the advantages that result from the use of these resources. Since ABS was introduced in 1992 within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio Conference), it is part of an international treaty that has been binding on the contracting states since 1994. Like other provisions of the CBD, ABS serves to reconcile the use of natural resources by humans with the preservation of biological diversity.
precursor
The content-related forerunners of ABS sales in the CBD were the Declaration on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources of 1962, the Declaration on Social Progress and Development of 1969 and finally the Declaration on the Right to Development of 1986.
discussion
Critics point out that, from a global perspective, no nation can claim ownership of the genetics of "their" species just because they exist on their soil or off their coasts. Research and development would be financed by the industrialized nations and the developing countries would be paid for it without doing anything of their own.
On the other hand, the proponents of this practice see this criticism as an anachronism , since it should be contradicted for ethical, political and economic reasons. They point out that 191 ratifications confirmed a consensus among the international community.