ABSTRACT
In order to make the most effective use of policies, however, protected area managers must institute the capacity to implement a policy, including processing research applications quickly and efficiently. Under the new protected area and genetic resource exchange paradigms, it is not only researchers who must bear new responsibilities, but protected areas as well – for building internal capacity, achieving efficiency and transparency in process and the effective sharing of
benefits to serve conservation and sustainable use objectives. Researchers asked to share benefits should be able to feel that their contributions are effectively and transparently managed, and are applied to shared conservation objectives. Protected areas policies should account for nationallevel systems of permitting, and the approval and agreement process should integrate affected government ministries, where possible, to allow for a streamlined approach. This requires a concerted effort to develop administrative and institutional capacity, including the following:
• build know-how within protected area and government staff relating to equitable research relationships and access and benefit-sharing issues under the CBD;
• establish a multistakeholder scientific council, or comparable body, to set
priorities for research, draft and implement research policies, monitor research relationships and oversee sharing of benefits; composition of this body might include protected areas managers, as well as representatives from government ministries, active institutional collaborators and researchers, local communities and NGOs;
• help to establish a streamlined permitting process that efficiently, and with transparency, integrates the range of relevant governmental, protected area and local community requirements and regulations;
• establish trust funds or other bodies to manage financial benefits;
• institute an ongoing process of capacity-building, and policy and institutional review and development.
