Preserving biodiversity: Pakistan likely to ratify Nagoya protocol soon

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan is likely to ratify the Nagoya Protocol soon as the summary for its endorsement is in its final stages and expected to be approved by the cabinet when it meets after the Eid holidays.

“All relevant ministries including law and justice, foreign affairs, interior, provinces and wildlife departments have forwarded their comments and have agreed to go ahead with the ratification of the Nagoya protocol,” an official at the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

“Climate change secretary will forward the draft summary to the minister for his formal consent and then it will be submitted to the federal cabinet for final approval, which is expected to meet after the Eid holidays,” the official said. “The Nagoya Protocol is central to unleashing the power of biodiversity for sustainable development by creating incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, while guaranteeing equity in the sharing of benefits,” the ministry’s biodiversity director Naeem Ashraf Raja said.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted by the conference of the parties to the convention on biological diversity at its 10th meeting on October 29, 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.

In accordance with its Article 32, the protocol was opened for signatures from February 2, 2011 to February 1, 2012 at the United Nations by the parties to the convention.

The protocol entered into force on October 12, 2014 and this is an international instrument aimed at preventing misappropriation of genetic resources.

The protocol also ensures that the benefits accrued from the use of those genetic resources were shared equitably with the provider country.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2015.