09.00

Messages to the African Minister Conference on ABS in March 2010 (cont.)

Presentation and discussion of draft text

The draft produced by the drafting team was presented to the plenary and comments were invited. After extensive discussions the drafting team left to work on the comments and to produce a final version of recommendations to African Ministers

10.30

Coffee Break

11.00

Roadmap of the ABS Initiative for 2010 :Andreas Drews- ABS Initiative for Africa

Comment on the workshop on IP and TK- we should expand it to include GR, and also an inclusion of trademarks and copyrights

ABS_Initiative_Workplan_2010-1.pdf

12.00

Messages to the African Minister Conference on ABS in March 2010 (cont.)

Presentation of final text

MESSAGE TO THE AFRICAN MINISTERS OF ENVIRONMENT

The participants of the 4^th Pan African ABS Capacity Development Workshop meeting held in Cairo, Egypt from the 6^th-10^th of December 2009,

Recognizing the importance of the rich biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge of the African Continent and the opportunities this offers for the improved livelihood of its people and its potential for poverty alleviation and sustainable development of the continent,

Noting the call of the international community to celebrate 2010 as the year of biodiversity and development thus emphasizing the need for African leaders to protect its biological and genetic  resources and to ensure that Africa obtains a fair and equitable share of the benefits generated from their utilisation;

Hereby, 

International level

1.      Call on all the African Ministers of Environment to take ownership of the African position in the negotiation of the International Regime on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and to further use the platforms of the AU and sub regional organisations to strengthen political support for the African position;

2.      Request all the African Ministers of Environment to fully participate in the COP10 meeting of the CBD to be organised in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010 in order to push for the adoption of an international binding protocol to the CBD on Access and Benefit Sharing;

3.      Request the Ministers to invite the African Union, sub-regional organizations and development partners to assist in the implementation of the International Regime and to provide support for capacity development of the African experts on ABS.

National Level:

4.      Request the Ministers to prioritize the establishment/updating/harmonisation of national ABS laws and regulations as a matter of urgency;

5.      Invite the Ministers to ensure that other relevant ministries are sensitized on the importance of ABS and to put in place operational coordination mechanisms on ABS;

6.      Urge the Ministers to make adequate budgetary allocations for the effective implementation of national ABS legislations and the promotion of activities relevant to capacity development of all concerned stakeholders at the  national level;

7.      Call on the Ministers to designate and/or strengthen the ABS National Competent Authority in their respective countries;

8.      Further call on the Ministers to ensure the protection of traditional knowledge in ABS legislations and measures and to effectively involve indigenous and local communities in all ABS related decision making processes.

 

12.30

Lunch

14.00

Workshop Evaluation

14.30

Closing Ceremony

15.00

Coffee Break

15.30

Tentative visit to the pyramids