Fair and equitable sharing of benefits
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.
With a growing number of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) laws emerging around the world, navigating compliance requirements can be complex for companies. Requirements vary across jurisdictions and may include permits, benefit-sharing agreements, and due diligence obligations.
For example:
142 countries have ratified the Nagoya Protocol
60+ of these signatory countries have specific access requirements, and even more have ABS laws in place
This complexity makes it a significant task to know how to comply with ABS requirements in each relevant country where natural raw materials are sourced.
ABS advisory services
UEBT brings more than 20 years of expertise in biodiversity and ABS to help companies understand and navigate evolving ABS regulations with confidence. Our in-house experts are sought after for task forces and expert working groups, such as for the Cali Fund, part of a multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources that was adopted at COP 15 alongside the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
UEBT ABS database
UEBT also hosts a leading database for businesses to stay informed on ABS due diligence. The database provides continuously updated, detailed information on existing rules on access and benefit sharing around the world including insights into their scope, requirements and application. Subscribers receive up-to-date notifications on new developments in various countries, so they do not miss any new laws or frameworks that could affect the business.
ABS in the UEBT standard
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 on topics such as ABS due diligence systems, ABS assessments for specific ingredients and benefit-sharing negotiations. Effective ABS practices support ethical sourcing commitments and help strengthen due diligence across botanical supply chains.
“As our world gets smaller and it becomes easier to share information from the origin of raw materials to the end product, access and benefit sharing are part of doing business. For those of us working in the beauty, natural flavors or botanical beverages sectors, we should care about this not only because it gives us social license for commercial activity, but also because the health of ecosystems and the people who have used biodiversity for millennia depend on it.
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Resources
ABS country factsheets - exclusively available on the UEBT ABS database via subscription.
Contact us
For more information write to us at abs@uebt.org