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The meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Benefit-sharing from the Use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (WGDSI-02), that began on August 12, ended in Montreal on August 16, 2024, with the stage being set for the 16th Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
A set of draft recommendations has been readied for negotiators who will meet in Cali, Colombia from October 21 to November 1, 2024.
The recommendations are about how benefits earned from the use of DSI on genetic resources are to be shared with communities.
Delegates at the WGDSI-02 discussed questions like who will pay for using DSI on genetic resources, how much they will pay, what would trigger such payments, how the collected payments will be disbursed and how the entire set-up would be managed and governed.
The question of sharing monetary and non-monetary benefits was also discussed. Specifically, it is not clear how non-monetary benefits would be shared. India proposed that DSI users share non-monetary benefits over and above their specified monetary contributions, as applicable.
The informal working group supports a multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of DSI on genetic resources, including a global fund (the Multilateral Mechanism).
However, even till the last day, there were disagreements. Many unresolved questions remain, and the draft recommendations are heavily bracketed.
For example, on the issue of disbursement of funds there was disagreement between developed and developing countries on whether the Global Environment Facility is a suitable host of the global fund as its structure favours developed countries, and it does not have representation from some of the world’s most megadiverse countries.
These issues will continue to be discussed at COP16.
The draft recommendations finalised by the working group has four options on contribution to the fund by the users of DSI on genetic resources and two options for disbursement.
“The draft that will be considered by COP16 will require further consensus-building in Cali, but we clearly have come a long way,” said the co-chairs of the negotiations, Mphatso Kalemba of Malawi and William Lockhart of the United Kingdom in a joint statement.
At COP16, Parties are expected to fine-tune agreement on pending issues. These include aspects of data governance, the formula to be used for allocating resources from the global fund and the portion that would be earmarked for indigenous peoples and local communities, women and youth, as custodians of biodiversity and holders of invaluable traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
Other areas where compromise will be sought include how national circumstances and the level of development of Parties would be considered in allocation decisions to ensure fairness and equity.
“I am confident that the Parties will find the path and the courage to compromise in Cali for the operationalisation of a cost-effective, efficient and simple solution,” said Astrid Schomaker, the executive secretary of the CBD.
“Like never before, it has brought most of the fundamental components, if not all, for an ABS system for the use of DSI into one working document. Views from the Global South are reflected in a balanced manner, although in brackets,” Nithin Ramakrishnan, senior researcher at non-profit Third World Network, told Down To Earth. He was present at the meeting and is “cautiously positive” about the WGDSI-2’s outcome.
“The Global North and industry want certain evidence for them to contribute and this means we also need checkpoints, disclosure laws, etc.,” he added.