News and Updates
Webinar on Multi-Criteria Analysis for Assessing DSI Policy Options
05/27/2022
Webinar on Multi-Criteria Analysis for Assessing DSI Policy OptionsWednesday, 8 June 2022, 8:00-10:00 AM EST
Virtual stakeholder listening session on DSI March 3
03/01/2022
The U.S. Department of State will host a virtual stakeholder listening session on Thursday, March 3, at 2pm EST to hear views regarding "digital sequence information" (DSI) on genetic resources in preparation for upcoming resumed subsidiary meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The 3rd session of the CBD Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will resume with an in-person meeting in Geneva March 14 - 29. At this meeting, participants will consider options and approaches for addressing access and benefit sharing on DSI. We invite stakeholders to join a listening session to share their views on DSI and the ...Read more
DSI on GR: New Studies on Potential Approaches to ABS / ISN des RG : Nouvelles études sur les approches potentielles de l’APA / IDS de RG: Nuevos estudios sobre posibles enfoques de APB
02/18/2022
In March the CBD Open-Ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will resume its 3rd session at a face-to-face meeting in Geneva, where it will conduct its first in-person negotiations on DSI. To stimulate fresh thinking ahead of this important meeting the ABS Initiative, working under the auspices of the Norway-South Africa Partnership on DSI, is organising a webinar focused on three new studies outlining potential ABS approaches relevant to DSI: National ABS Approaches to DSI: Perspectives, Options and Limits prepared for the ABS Initiative by Henry de Novion Download: https://bit.ly/34OjOlh Digital Sequence Information (DSI): lessons from multilateral ...Read more
Webinar on the report of the informal Co-Chairs’ Advisory Group on Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources (DSI IAG)
12/17/2021
Webinar on the report of the informal Co-Chairs’ Advisory Group on Digital Sequence Information on genetic resources (DSI IAG) Tuesday 14 December 2021 at 13h00-15h00 CET (12h00-14h00 UTC) Ladies and Gentlemen, You are cordially invited to participate in the abovementioned webinar. Established at the 3rd session of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the DSI IAG held four working meetings, aimed at assisting the OEWG Co-Chairs in conducting informal consultations on DSI. The report contains: - a proposed multi-criteria analysis framework for evaluating DSI policy options - a co-leads’ summary of the discussions on potential convergences and apparent ...Read morePostponement on decisions on if and how digital sequence data may be regulated by the Nagoya Protocol
09/29/2021
From https://www.cbd.int/dsi-gr/: The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol first addressed the issue of digital sequence information on genetic resources at their respective meetings held in December 2016. At its most recent meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted decision 14/20 which noted the divergence of views of Parties on this matter and decided to establish a science and policy-based process, which included the convening of an Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG). For more information, see : What ...Read moreThank you NSF for funding our virtual workshop series!
07/17/2021
The US Nagoya Protocol Action Group has partnered with the American Institute of Biological Sciences to run a workshop series this late summer and Fall. The workshop will feature some amazing scientists who are working in the US, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, China, and Indonesia. We're focusing on how we share genetic data like DNA to mutually benefit and to benefit the biodiversity of our planet. We're hammering the details out now but we would love it if you could share news of this workshop with your colleagues at summer meetings. People can sign up here: io.aibs.org/nagoya
Webinar Series to Unpack Digital Sequence Information Linkage to the Nagoya Protocol
11/16/2020
Webinar series on from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat ***** https://www.cbd.int/article/dsi-webinar-series-2020 ***** This webinar series aims to foster a common understanding of digital sequence information on genetic resources, its importance and linkage to the Convention and the Nagoya Protocol as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, and how digital sequence information on genetic resources is being addressed under the CBD, in preparation for the third meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Three webinars will be held as follows: - Webinar 1: Understanding DSI: a technical overview of its production, distribution and use: ...Read more
Online Seminar: Introduction to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in the UK
10/07/2020
Online Seminar: Introduction to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in the UK, hosted by the University of Aberdeen Oct. 14 from 9-10:30 (EDT). https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-the-nagoya-protocol-on-access-and-benefit-sharing-in-the-uk-tickets-118180730747 Workshop Summary: The EU and China held a "Workshop on Access and Benefit Sharing and Digital Sequence Information," virtually on 28-29 May 2020. There were participants from China and the EU, the European Commission, the current and future Presidencies of the European Union and the Secretariat of the CBD. Stakeholder sectors were represented by senior personnel from databases, research, biological collections, forestry, ecology, agriculture and business. The objective was the exchange ...Read more
Webinar/virtual report launch: Finding compromise on ABS & DSI in the CBD: Requirements & policy ideas from a scientific perspective
10/07/2020
October 7th, 2020 14:00-16:30pm Central European DT Register online here: https://www.dsmz.de/collection/nagoya-protocol/digital-sequence-information/dsi-policy-options-webinar-2020 Description: The debates on Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (DSI) and access and benefit-sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol (NP) remain challenging. Balancing open access and fair benefit-sharing requires thinking outside the box to find innovative solutions that bridge the gap between these two important priorities. The paper offers 5 ideas for how this could be achieved. The webinar is hosted by the WiLDSI project, an interdisciplinary research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) led by the Leibniz Institutes ...Read more
New Article on Genetic Sequence Data: Open access to genetic sequence data maximizes value to scientists, farmers, and society
08/11/2020
As sequencing technology has advanced, the ability of scientists to rapidly generate large quantities of genetic sequence data (GSD) has greatly improved. These data are often made freely available through online databases such as those provided by the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration. With vast amounts of information now easily and freely accessible, questions have arisen over how these data should be regulated—or if they should be regulated at all. For nearly five years, debate has ensued over the potential inclusion of GSD in an access and benefit-sharing (ABS) scheme. In a July publication in the journal Global Food Security, ...Read more
ESA Webinar – Intro to the Nagoya Protocol and Learning Portal
03/26/2020
"What You Need to Know about the Nagoya Protocol, Access, and Benefit-sharing When Planning Your Research" Presented By: Patrick Reilly, U.S. Department of State; and Rachel Meyer, University of California, Santa Cruz Watch the recording here.... Whether or not you conduct international research, the Nagoya Protocol, along with issues of access and benefit-sharing, should be a part of every researcher’s thinking. The Nagoya Protocol is a multilateral treaty that sets up the legal framework for utilizing genetic resources. This treaty has important implications on research and should be considered when thinking about how to conduct research, manage collections, and work ...Read more
Webinar about the Nagoya Protocol from the US Government
02/28/2020
The American Institute for Biological Sciences presents a webinar presentation by Patrick Reilly from the US State Dept titled "LIFE FINDS A WAY: AN OVERVIEW OF THE NAGOYA PROTOCOL FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT". In case you missed it, you can watch the video HERE.
China to host the meeting where the new decadal biodiversity targets will be drafted
02/20/2020
The upcoming Conference of the Parties, where ~200 countries gather to coordinate action plans to slow the incredible loss of biodiversity worldwide, will be hosted by China in November 2020. Read an overview of the process and history of these meetings, as well as benchmark achievements and failures, HERE. To see where the Conference of the Parties have been in the past, and what their all about, check out THIS PAGE from the United Nations.
Rooibos tea: profits will be shared with Indigenous communities
11/06/2019
Nature Publishing covered the agreement finally reached between the Khoi and San people and the South African government to share the benefits of the rooibos tea industry. Rooibos is a traditional beverage and medicine from Southern Africa. Read the article HERE.