Nagoya Protocol Achieves 92 Signatories

Sixteen countries have recently signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which now has a total of 92 signatories. The most recent countries that signed the Protocol are: Cambodia, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, Ireland, Kenya, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nigeria, the Republic of Moldova, Senegal, Thailand, and Ukraine.

The Protocol was closed for signature last February 1, 2012, a year after it was opened for signature. It will be implemented 90 days after the deposit of the 50^th instrument of ratification.

"The signature of these 91 countries and the European Union effectively demonstrates that the international community is committed to early entry into force of this unique legal instrument at the service of sustainable development. I call on all Parties who have not yet done so to expedite their internal procedure of ratification in 2012, which coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the opening of signature of the Convention for Life on Earth," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary to the Convention of Biological Diversity.

Read the press release at http://www.cbd.int/doc/press/2012/pr-2012-02-03-abs-en.pdf.