Access and Benefit Sharing
Fair and equitable benefit sharing
To ensure the conservation and sustainable use biodiversity, it is essential to acknowledge its social, cultural and economic value. That is why international agreements such as the Nagoya Protocol recognise the rights of countries and communities to regulate how biodiversity is used for research and development and to promote a more fair and equitable sharing of resulting benefits.
A growing number of laws and regulations around the world establish requirements on access and benefit sharing (ABS), including permits, benefit sharing agreements, and due diligence procedures. These rules may apply to companies that source ingredients from biodiversity for research, new product development or commercialisation. Defining whether ABS requirements apply and what their practical implications are for a company or its suppliers is not always simple. Yet fair and equitable benefit sharing is also an opportunity for companies to advance their ethical sourcing commitments and promote due diligence along supply chains.
What is ABS? in 2 minutes
Leaders on 10 years of the Nagoya Protocol
UEBT ABS due diligence database
In 2021 we launched a new unique database to help businesses in their due diligence on ABS. The tool is a continuously updated database with information on existing rules on access and benefit sharing around the world and insights into their scope, requirements and practical application. Learn more about it here.
Making ABS more practical
UEBT guides and verifies compliance with ABS rules, which are included in the UEBT standard and part of UEBT membership and due diligence requirements. In addition, UEBT supports companies in complying with ABS rules through training and advisory services on topics such as ABS due diligence systems, ABS assessments for specific ingredients and benefit-sharing negotiations. UEBT also collaborates with companies, governments, international organisations and other partners to promote ABS legal frameworks that are more practical.
To learn more about how UEBT can support your company or organisation on ABS tools, training or advice, write to us at abs@uebt.org
ABS country factsheets
Those factsheets are exclusively available as part of the UEBT ABS Due Diligence database for both UEBT members and other companies as an annual subscription service.
“The tools UEBT provides have made it easier for people who engage with communities, such as me, to understand what the Nagoya Protocol says and put it into implementation. The years working with UEBT have made my passion for access and benefit-sharing increase and has made our work here on the ground easier and faster.”