Context
As a whole, Central America is only about as big as Spain, yet the region is home to more than seven per cent of the world’s biodiversity. These natural resources are severely threatened by climate change and the high rate of population growth. Among its various objectives, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), launched in 1992, aims to secure access to genetic resources, while ensuring the balanced and equitable sharing of any benefits derived from their use. To this end, in 2010 the majority of the signatories to the CBD approved a new international environmental agreement: the Nagoya Protocol. This came into force in October 2014, following its 50th ratification. Since then it has also been ratified by several other states.
Genetic resources provide the basis for a large number of commercial and scientific products. This includes applications in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, horticulture, seeds, fertilisers, plant protection, food and drinks. Governments in Central America want to prevent the illegal use of these resources by foreign researchers and companies. Known as biopiracy, this phenomenon is a pressing issue for the region. A number of civil society organisations and indigenous communities are also protesting against the notion of placing an economic value on their livelihoods.
The Nagoya Protocol attempts to balance the interests of the countries of origin of the genetic resources – usually developing countries or emerging economies – and those which use the genetic resources – mostly industrialised countries.
In Central America, people are often either unaware of or misinterpret the Protocol and the questions and conflicts associated with it, and there is a lack of clarity regarding the opportunities, risks and means of implementation. This is also the case among the relevant environment ministries and affiliated authorities, trade institutions, patent offices, enterprises and civil society. For this reason, the countries in question have so far accrued few benefits from the use of their genetic resources, although the potential advantages of doing so are considerable since their economic value creates incentives to protect them.
Objective
Member states of the Central American Integration System (SICA) are implementing initial measures that promote the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the sustainable use of genetic resources and the traditional knowledge associated with them.
Approach
At regional level, the project is setting up training courses and dialogue forums. These enable policy-makers and representatives of civil society and the private sector to exchange knowledge and information and to learn about the opportunities and risks involved in accessing and using natural genetic resources. The project is developing and improving strategies that will provide the SICA member states with orientation and enable them to profit from their genetic resources to a greater extent.
With studies and training measures, the project keeps the relevant policy-makers and members of the business community and civil society informed about the need to balance access to and usage of genetic resources, above all in El Salvador, Guatemala and Costa Rica. In these three countries, the project supports processes aimed at improving the national policy, strategic and legal frameworks for implementing the Nagoya Protocol. It also provides support for national dialogue on this issue, and shares international experience as well as proposals for making the best use of this experience.
Working with the local people at community level, the project presents examples of how countries can use biodiversity products or products derived from genetic resources to their greater economic and social advantage. The results are submitted to the relevant officials in the local and national governments and linked to the international business community. This will create incentives leading to the protection and sustainable use of biological resources.