The Access and Benefit Sharing and Bio-trade Guidelines for the Kingdom of Eswatini 2017.

The Access and Benefit Sharing Guidelines for the Kingdom of Eswatini, established in 2017, are designed to implement an effective national Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) system under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol. These guidelines aim to regulate access to the country's genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, ensuring equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization. The guidelines outline the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, including the Competent National Authority, other government agencies, resource owners, and research institutions. They also detail the procedures for obtaining prior informed consent (PIC) and mutually agreed terms (MAT) for accessing genetic resources. The guidelines emphasize the importance of public awareness, capacity building, and compliance with environmental policies. They also address the management of biological resources, the rights of communities and cultural clans, and the procedures for accessing traditional knowledge. The guidelines further provide for the issuance of biotrade permits and the equitable sharing of benefits, including monetary and non-monetary benefits, arising from the utilization of genetic resources. The Competent National Authority is tasked with ensuring that the terms and conditions of access agreements secure equitable benefit sharing and that the ABS system is implemented fairly and effectively. The guidelines also include provisions for information management, monitoring, and compliance with international agreements.