Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing reaches 66 Ratifications

28 September 2015: Eleven countries have ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) since its entry into force on 12 October 2014. The Protocol currently counts 66 ratifications.

The countries that have ratified recently include: Cambodia, Croatia, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritania and the Republic of the Congo.

As noted by CBD Executive Secretary Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, a number of countries are finalizing their national processes and additional ratifications are expected in the coming weeks, including in the Treaty Event 2015, which is held in conjunction with the General Debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) from 28 September - 1 October 2015. [CBD Press Release] [List of Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on ABS]