ABS Initiative’s

The multi-donor ABS Capacity Development Initiative holds the unique position as a global information and knowledge broker on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS). The ABS Initiative’s focus is on contributing to the establishment of functioning ABS agreements between providers and users of genetic resources. It also supports several countries in designing and implementing the required regulatory frameworks. The Initiative addresses the rising number of requests to support national ABS implementation through three core processes: developing and revising ABS legislative and regulatory frameworks, negotiating fair and equitable ABS agreements, and effectively integrating IPLCs in respective negotiation processes. The ultimate goal is to help create enabling environments in which genetic resources and the associated traditional knowledge are utilized in a sustainable way, while ABS delivers economic and development opportunities to all relevant stakeholders. By better actualizing the poverty alleviation potential of ABS at the nexus of natural resource management, trade and governance, the Initiative contributes to the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).