Interim Access and Benefit Sharing Policy of Bhutan 2015.

The Interim Access and Benefit Sharing Policy of Bhutan (ABS) serves as the basis for making decision on any proposal for Access to Genetic Resources and associated Traditional Knowledge and Benefit-Sharing arising from its Research and Commercial Utilization. The ABS policy is based on the following principles: a) There is an integral link between Bhutan’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge and the economic, social and spiritual wellbeing of the Bhutanese people who hold Nature in trust for the benefit of the planet and the current and future generations. b) Access to and utilization of Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge should affirm the cultural and spiritual values of the Bhutanese people, and contribute to the wellbeing of the planet and the current and future generations. c) Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits generated from the commercial and research utilization of Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge with its local custodians and the Bhutanese people as a whole will promote sustainable use and lead to the fulfillment of the conservation mandate enshrined in Constitution of Bhutan. d) Access to and utilization of Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge should result in strengthened national capacities to develop a better understanding of our biological resources for effective conservation and sustainable utilization.
The conservation and sustainable use of Bhutan’s biological heritage through securing the economic, social and spiritual wellbeing of the Bhutanese people. The National ABS policy covers the research and commercial utilization of Bhutan’s genetic resources, their derivatives and associated traditional knowledge. It does not apply to access of human genetic resources. The access to duly registered ex situ collections of genetic resources for food and agriculture that fall under Annex-1 of the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) (4.7). The access to in situ genetic resources for food and agriculture in the Actualization Phase shall be based on an ABS Agreement between the National Focal Point in consultation with the relevant community custodians and the users of such resources (4.8).
The access to genetic resources from community forests in the Actualization Phase will be based on an ABS agreement between the user of such genetic resources and the communities managing these forests. The five Policy Objectives are: 1) To secure the trusteeship of the Bhutanese people over their genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. 2) To augment and secure the value of Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge for conservation and sustainable use, through maximum benefits from the commercial, genetic resources use and associated traditional knowledge. 3) To promote long term mutually supportive relationships based on trust between the providers and users of Bhutan’s biological resources and associated traditional knowledge. 4) To regulate access to Bhutan’s genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. 5) To ensure fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the research and commercial utilization of Bhutan’s genetic resources and traditional knowledge.