ABSTRACT

The third objective of the CBD relates to the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of GRs, in short, ABS. It was included in the text of the CBD at the insistence of the developing countries, which possess approximately 80 per cent of global GRs. Functioning ABS regulations at national, regional and international level are essential for biodiversity conservation. Since the use of biodiversity is almost as diverse as biodiversity itself, such regulations can only be negotiated by competent partners, including a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, business, and local and indigenous communities. Building on this insight, the Dutch–German ABS Capacity Development Initiative for Africa started in 2005 to support African stakeholders. Guided by the elevator principle – connecting all levels bottom-up and top-down, and ‘stopping on request’ – the Initiative links the local level with UN negotiations using regional and sub-regional activities as kick-off platforms. To date, the Initiative has established three sub-regional forums for exchanges on ABS issues that take into account particularities of languages in Africa and the diversity of legal systems: (1) eastern and southern Africa; (2) central Africa; and (3) West Africa, Maghreb and the Indian Ocean Islands.