Programme Overview

The Workshop consisted of the following elements of work:

Case studies: Bioprospecting in the region

Participants were invited to present case studies on ABS in their country or region such as concrete cases of bioprospecting or biopiracy as well as experiences with the development and/or implementation of ABS regulations. Participants who took part in the Addis Ababa workshop were invited to inform the group on new developments regarding the case studies presented and discussed in Addis Ababa (www.abs-africa.info/addis_contributions.html).

Develop a Vision for ABS in Africa

One of the major obstacles in the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of genetic resources and the use of traditional knowledge in countries of origin is the lack of knowledge, training and cooperation between holders of traditional knowledge and the various stakeholders of genetic and biological resources. Only if they join forces, biopiracy, cheap buy-out and corruption can be contained. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits needs strong cooperation based on good will and trust by stakeholders on the provider side. Hence one of the major outcomes that the three year programme of the ABS Capacity Building Initiative for Africa aims at achieving is a greater cooperation and networking amongst those stakeholders. Cooperation and networking is based on trust, mutual understanding and first and foremost a joint vision to work together towards a common future that is promising for all those involved.

The workshop invited the participants to develop such a strong vision on ABS in Africa. Over the course of several sessions, participants were invited to create a strong and powerful vision, based on the life reality in their countries and their region.

Legal and political requirements

Two workshop streams were held in parallel, one for those participants not yet very familiar with the ABS issue and its context, and one for those who are already experts in their field. Participants were requested to indicate their choice upon registration for the workshop.

(1) Basic Training: Legal and Political Basics of the CBD and ABS

Those relatively new to the CBD process and access and benefit-sharing were trained in the basics of this issue area: international legal and political framework of biological diversity and genetic resources (CBD, WTO, FAO, WIPO, ILO 169), three pillars of the CBD, relevance of ABS in the context of poverty alleviation, conservation and sustainable use, MAT and PIC, equitable sharing of benefits, holders of traditional knowledge, chain of production of bio-chemical products, national and regional legislation.

(2) Expert Discussion: three alternative themes to choose from

On basis of the topics relevant in the next meetings for the negotiation of the international ABS regime (Meeting of the Group of Technical Experts on an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Origin/Source/Legal Provenance and the 5^th Meeting of the ABS Working Group) and the recommendations of the Addis Ababa workshop the following three topics for discussion were offered to choose from:

• Certificate of Origin : Nominated experts are tasked to explore and elaborate late 2006 or early 2007 the possible options for the form, intent and functioning of an internationally recognised certificate of origin/source/legal provenance and analyse its practicality, feasibility, costs and benefits. It might be useful to discuss these issues, especially national level requirements, in the African context with a view to develop an African perspective and position.
• Gap analysis : The discussion of the gap analysis is still a pending issue (decision VIII/4 paras. 2(b), 8, 9). So far none of the African Parties or other stakeholder groups has submitted such an analysis. As the issue will most probably on the agenda of the 5^th Meeting of the ABS Working Group it might be appropriate to analyse to what extent the African perspective is covered in the synthesis document ( UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/4/3) compiled by the SCBD.
• Practical approaches for regional cooperation : This has been highlighted as an important issue in the discussions of the Addis Ababa workshop. Considering the transboundary ranges of many biological and genetic resources as well as the associated traditional knowledge regional cooperation and harmonisation are an asset for all stakeholders as competition for the lowest standards and buy-outs can be avoided or at least minimised. The  AU Model Law is a first approach, which seems to have little impact.

Together with the registrations the particiapnts made the following choices:

• 10 participants: Basic Training
• 10 participants: Practical approaches for regional cooperation
• 9 participants: Certificate of Origin
• 2 participants: Gap analysis

Consequently the organizers decided that the advanced group would  discuss practical approaches of regional cooperation to improve ABS in Africa. A discussion of the Certificate of Origin should take place only after the results of the  Meeting of the Group of Technical Experts on an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Origin/Source/Legal Provenance in January 2007 in Lima, Peru.

Basic elements for continuing cooperation

Based on the lessons learnt from the case studies, the deliberations of the expert workshop and the vision developed by the participants, the workshop was closed with developing the basic elements for the continuing cooperation.

Excursion

The excursion to !Khwa ttu, the only San owned cultural and education centre in the Western Cape, exposed the participants of the workshop to the world of the San people and their ABS case with the commercial exploitation of the Hoodia plant.

Workshop Programme