ABSTRACT
BOX 3.1 COMMON POLICY GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATING BOTANIC GARDENS ON ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES AND BENEFIT-
SHARING
China Williams (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)
The entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in December 1993 and its subsequent ratification by 175 parties provides a new mandate for botanic gardens and presents them with both policy and practical challenges. If the ex-situ collections held in botanic gardens are to be of value to science and conservation, they must be maintained and improved. To achieve this, continued access to plant, fungal, microbial and animal genetic resources is essential. The exchange of genetic resources between botanic gardens is also necessary in order to facilitate taxonomic and other scientific research and to ensure that the levels of diversity held in ex-situ collections are adequate for conservation. Additionally, botanic gardens act as an important ‘clearing house’ as the genetic resources they collect may be supplied to a wide range of organizations, including other botanic gardens, universities’ research institutions and industry.
