8:00 - 9:00

Registration

9:00 - 9:45

Welcome and opening

Hon. Leon Jooste, Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism
Hon Jooste welcomed the participants and underscored the importance of biotrade / bioprospecting for Namibia and its potential to generate significant economic benefits out of genetic and biological resources if properly controlled. He highlighted the absence of appropriate policy and legislation without sound benefit-sharing arrangements in Namibia and the emphasized the need for a conducive policy and legal framework. Hon. Jooste also dwelt on the significance of traditional knowledge as an important source of information for local resource managers in the efforts towards biodiversity conservation and for scientists working on developing useful applications of genetic and biological resources. He concluded by noting the role of the private sector and the commercial research institutions in achieving the third objective of the CBD and the need for close collaboration amongst all stake holders.

Speech-DeputyMinisterMET.pdf

21 kB

His Excellency Arne Freiherr von Kittlitz, German Ambassador

His Excellency affirmed that the development of an international regime for ABS will produce the necessary incentive to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity. He outlined aspects of Germany’s assistance to Namibia in Natural Resources Management and Rural Development, Transport, and Sustainable Economic Development with the aim of foregrounding biodiversity concerns in a variety of development sectors.

Speech-GermanAmbassador.pdf

19.6 kB

Jonathan Landrey, New Business Manager, PhytoTrade Africa

Mr. Landrey outlined ‘his history’ with the ABS Capacity Development Initiative and his impressions on the Cape Town workshop. Lacking a common position on ABS within the private sector, Mr. Landrey stated that the purpose of the workshop was to focus on the aspect of value addition along the production chain and to provide an opportunity for research institutions to air their concerns regarding ABS to their governments and stakeholders. He emphasized the need for ABS regulations that would have a twin objectives of facilitating economic growth while safeguarding the rights of the guardians of traditional knowledge and natural resources.

Speech-JonathanLandrey.pdf

1.1 MB

Dr. Andreas Drews, Coordinator Dutch-German ABS Capacity Development Initiative for Africa, GTZ

Dr. Drews introduced participants to the Dutch-German Capacity Development Initiative commissioned by GTZ / BMZ and co-funded by the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He briefly outlined the history of this initiative founded in 2005, its first workshop in Addis, results and recommendations gained there, followed by further workshops, working groups and side events on ABS. He stated that benefit-sharing is essential to poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. With regard to the conservation of biodiversity, he highlighted the importance of the investments of the private sector in bioprospecting activities, and the need to build and develop capacity therein. He also asserted the need for fair and mutually agreed solutions regarding ABS at an international and national level.

Speech-Drews.pdf

35 kB

9:45 - 10:00

Introduction to the workshop objectives and program overview

10:00 - 10:30

Participants Introduction: Origin, Background and Expectations
Facilitator: Suhel al-Janabi
Participants were asked identify themselves in terms of their knowledge about ABS and Biotrade, as well as articulating their work in these areas. They were also asked to state their expectations from the workshop and areas where they needed information.

10:30 - 11:00

Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:30

Establishing the current situation and setting the stage

Facilitators: Suhel al- Janabi and Sem Shikongo
Session 2 divided the participants into six separate discussion groups asking them to identify their key issues regarding ABS and Biotrade. The groups classified their issues under the following heads: Concerns, Overlaps, Problems, Uncertainties, Potentials, Gaps and Challenges.

Presentations: All presentations were followed by vigorous discussions amongst the participants of the workshop. 

• The CBD Framework for ABS and the Bonn Guidelines
  Sem Shikongo, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Namibia

Mr. Shikongo provided a brief introduction on the CBD and the history of ABS within it while focusing on the international ABS debates and the Bonn Guidelines.

The_CBD_and_the_Bonn_Guidelines_200706.ppt Sem T. Shikongo, MET Namibia; CBD Framework for ABS and the Bonn Guidelines

2.5 MB

• The Certificate of Origin/Source/Legal Provenance
  Andreas Drews, Coordinator Dutch-German ABS Capacity Development Initiative for Africa, GTZ, Germany

Dr. Drews presented the report of the Group of Experts on the Internationally Recognized Certificate of Origin, Source and Legal Provenance and the objective and rationale of the Lima Report

GTE-Report-AD-2007-06.ppt Dr. Andreas Drews; GTZ Germany; Report of the Group of Technical Experts on Certificate of Origin

419 kB

• An IARC’s view on ABS: The example of ICIPE
  Peter Munyi, International Centre for Insect Phyiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kenya

Peter Munyi introduced ABS and Biotrade issues from the perspective of a research institute i.e. ICIPE. He also touched upon aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), Prior Informed Consent (PIC), Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT), inventions and distribution of royalties.

Munyi_ABS_Windhoek_Presentation.ppt Peter Munyi; ICIPE Kenya; An IARC's view on ABS: An example of ICIPE

0.9 MB

12:30 - 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 - 15:30

Session 3: Establishing the current situation and setting the stage – contd.

In the afternoon, the Workshop continued with presentations and each presentation was followed by an involved question and answer session. After the presentations the workshop participants were split into three groups which discussed the ABS International Regime, Biotrade and National Implementation in the context of the new information that arose from the presentations.

• BTFP principles relating to ABS
  Maria Julia Oliva, UNCTAD Biotrade Facilitation Program (BTFP), Geneva

Ms. Oliva spoke on the principles relating to ABS best practice developed under the UNCTAD Biotrade Facilitation Program and the usefulness of these principles for the private sector interested in entering into ABS agreements.

Windhoek_MJO_presentation_18.06.07.ppt Maria Julia Oliva; UNCTAD BioTrade Facilitation Programme (BTFP); Fair and equitable benefit-sharing in BioTrade activities

2.6 MB

• Impact of ABS regulations on R&D strategies of research institutions
  Ulrich Feiter, Parceval (Pty.) Ltd., South Africa

Mr. Feiter developed extensively on his experiences as an entrepreneur involved in manufacturing herbal products. He highlighted the serious difficulties that arise from the lack of clear local regulation and the transaction and opportunity costs that arise from this.

Ulrich_Feiter_Parceval.pdf Urlich Feiter, Parceval (Pty.) Ltd., South Africa

10.4 kB

• The cosmetics, food and beverages industry perspective
  Cyril Lombard, PhytoTrade Africa, UK

Mr. Lombard provided a clear outline on the value chain that begins with the natural resource and ends up as a cosmetic, food or beverage and the different stages of value addition that have to be borne in mind when dealing with issues of ABS and Biotrade.

NA-private-sector-CL-2007-06.ppt Cyril Lombard; PhytoTrade Africa, The Southern African Products Trade Association; The cosmetics food and beverages industry perspective

466 kB

15:30 - 16:00

Coffee Break

16:00 - 17:00

Establishing the current situation and setting the stage:

Reporting back from group and open discussions completed the first day of the Workshop. Issues that arose from group discussions on the day’s presentations fell under the broad heads of ABS and Biotrade. Participants felt that ABS and Biotrade cannot be mutually exclusive and are intrinsically linked. Neither can be advanced without the other and it is therefore crucial in an African context where both genetic resources and traditional knowledge is transboundary to develop a common negotiating position at an international level, to regionally harmonize standards and legislation. Participants proposed that Africa must see its role as not merely a supplier of unprocessed resource to the developed world but must also develop its own research capacity and biotrade industry that would benefit local consumers and create local markets for natural products. Many participants felt that it was important to push towards a harmonization of the different international conventions that had a bearing on ABS and Biotrade while at the same time making clear and necessary distinctions between genetic resources and biological resources, certificate of origin and source etc.

Before concluding for the day the participants also listed out important concerns under the three heads of ABS International Regime, Biotrade and National Implementation. These concerns came up in the course of the days presentations and the participants expected these concerns to be answered in the course of the next two days.