Federal Minister attended
National Consultation on Nagoya Protocol to compile report as chief guest at
Community Centre of National Agriculture Research Council.
“Today, people belonging to
different profession gathered to compile report on Nagoya Protocol” said by the
Federal Minister fore Climate Change Senator Mushidullah Khan. He further added
Nagoya Protocol is simply benefitting the communities from herbs are obtained
to use it for medical proposes. The local communities must reap the benefits of
that medicine also. He explained highlighted that if a local community first
discovered benefits of herbs. Later some company utilized that discovery and
sells it in international market, then that company will be bound to share some
profit with local community under Nagoya Protocol.
He further told the
participants that it requires some solid steps of legislation to implement this
idea. This legislation must focus on agreement of local communities; share in
profit and licensing of companies selling those herbs. Now, 104 countries
including Pakistan Bangladesh, European Union, Japan and India have signed on
Nagoya Protocol.
He also told the audience
that discoveries of for fathers for advantages of mankind must be provided
within legal boundaries. In this regard all provinces must do legislation to
implement this idea. In this regard pharmaceutical companies, homeopathic
doctors and especially universities
which teach pharmacy must take lead and help in this legislation. He
also highlighted that Ministry of Climate Change has formulated Model
legislation Nagoya Protocol and sent to provinces to formulate their
legislation on this pattern.
He also told the
participants that Ministry of Climate Change has formulated new forest Policy
also after a long struggle. But it requires efforts from people from all
walk of life to mitigate the effects of
climate change.
Nagoya
Protocols defined as when a medicine is derived from any herb then the benefit
from the utilization of that herb should also be given to the actual custodians
of that genetic resource that is the local community who are using that
resource since centuries through their traditional knowledge. If a company or
some organization sells the product then local community should also have the
benefit from that resource and the prior consent from the custodian communities
should be taken. For example use of Neem or Joshanda is well known and if some
company use the traditional knowledge and make any product then they should be
bound to involve the local communities and share the profits from its proceed.
There is a need of some relevant legislation for the implementation of Nagoya
Protocol especially at the provincial level to give access and benefit sharing
to the communities. Nagoya Protocol was formulated in 2010 and it was enforced
in 2014 and todate 104 countries including EU, Japan, India, Bangladesh and
others are signatories to this protocol.
Pakistan is
party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which was signed and
ratified by Pakistan on 5th June 1992 and 26th July 1994 respectively. The
Convention is the only international instrument comprehensively addressing
needs of conservation sustainable use and sharing the benefits arising out of
utilization of biological resources.
The Nagoya
Protocol of CBD is an instrument to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby
contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It
provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of
benefit sharing arising out of the utilization of genetic resources and
associated Traditional Knowledge.
The Nagoya
Protocol on ABS was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The Protocol
entered into force on 12th October 2014. As of December 5th, 101 countries
including Pakistan are parties to the Protocol. The Protocol demands the
country parties to take legislative, policy and administrative measures for
greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers and users of
genetic resources. The protocol encourages establishing more predictable
conditions for access to genetic resources and Helping to ensure benefit-
sharing when genetic resources leave the country providing the genetic
resources. All representatives from federal government institutes, provincial
governments, research institutes, academia, local communities including nomads,
civil society representatives, etc. participated in this meeting and gave their
inputs.
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