Access and Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture

• Forschungsstelle: DEZA
• Projektnummer: 7F-02627.01
• Projekttitel Englisch: Access and Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture

Schlüsselwörter (Deutsch)

Forschung
Beziehungen
Ausland
IPGRI

Kurzbeschreibung (Französisch)

Le projet consiste à soutenir un séminaire de formation organisé par IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) à Rome. Ce séminaire fait partie d'une démarche globale en vue de faciliter l'accès aux ressources génétiques des plantes pour l'agriculture et par là est un moyen de favoriser leur utilisation et leur sauvegarde à moyen terme. D'autres dona-teurs sont impliqués dans l'appui à cette initiative en particulier la GTZ qui soutient cette démarche en Amérique latine.
Ce séminaire permettra d'identifier des compétences locales en Afrique Australe et débou-cher éventuellement sur un programme plus ciblé au niveau national. La démarche débute par un état des lieux au niveau législatif et au niveau de l'appareil mis en place par les états concernés. IPGRI ne commence pas sur un terrain vierge dans la mesure où des outils de prise de décision ont été développé dans le cadre des TRIPS agrements. Ces outils ont été testés avec succès à Harare, Zimbabwe, avec la participation de représentants de Ministè-res de l'Agriculture, de l'Environnement et de l'Industrie.

Projektziele (Englisch)

IPGRI is well placed to tap into institutions and networks in each region. It is therefore pro-posed that the project be implemented through IPGRI's regional offices in cooperation with sister Centres of the CGIAR and the involvement of a representative group of national and local decision-makers from each region. Legal experts from each region would be identified to act as resource people. The project will entail the following steps:

1. Legal Assessment: Review of existing legislation and creation of "spreadsheet" analysis
2. Regional Stakeholder Workshops
3. Substantive input into CBD processes including the ABS WG and the COP
4. Substantive input to an IT Governing Body and/or relevant subsidiary bodies created (such as a Legislative Committee exploring implications of IT to Parties' legislation).
5. Creation of a decision-making tool to help national governments in assessing infor-mation needed and options for implementation in the context of their national situa-tions.

Abstract (Englisch)

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Umsetzung und Anwendungen (Englisch)

An assessment of the current legal situation is the first step in understanding the circumstances around which access decisions are made. A formal request for information on legal and other national arrangements governing access has been made to Party focal points to the CBD. Working through the IPGRI regional offices and sister Centres where appropriate, it will likely be necessary to get more specific information including any included in planning instruments (e.g., NBSAPs) where access and benefit-sharing are addressed. From this exercise, the project will produce a spreadsheet comparing the major provisions of access legislation first for the project countries in the region. The ultimate goal is the production of an analysis - probably in a user-friendly spread sheet format - for all the regions to include as an annex in the guide to legal mechanisms produced after all regional workshops are complete (see, Section 2 ). Having just been adopted, no legislation yet exists that was created to implement the IT provisions. A major task is therefore to prepare for it and a legal assessment is an important first component of this preparation.

The type of questions the assessment would undertake to answer include :

" What laws are currently in force that regulate or influence access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing?
" What laws are being considered (how is the process being undertaken; at what stage is the process, etc.)?
" What Ministry(ies)/department(s) have authority to grant prior informed consent?
" What levels of government have authority to determine access?
" What role(s) does government play in regulating access (e.g., is it directly involved in negotiation of agreement for access? Does it monitor agreements?) And what and to whom does it delegate tasks?
" Does the State regulate access on private and as well as public land?
" What genetic resources are covered by the law(s)/regulation(s)?
" Is there a differentiation among important categories of genetic resources? If yes, how are they categorized?
" Are all geographic areas covered?
" How is enforcement provided for?
" Are there other laws that can or are used to enforce access?
" Is there a provision for coordination among Ministries with mandate/interest in genetic resources?