A global protocol on ABS is likely to be finalised at the 12-day long 10th Conference of Parties (CoP-10) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) beginning from October 18 in Nagoya in Japan.

India will also press for inclusion of of the entire chain of biological resources including the derivatives and not just the primary product in the ABS, as the Indian minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh.

India is likely to host CoP-11 in 2012. The CoP-11 will be significant as it will mark the 10th anniversary of Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, 20th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit and 40th anniversary of Stockholm Conference.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Friday the minister hailed the finalisation of a new treaty known as Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on October 12 at Nagoya. This treaty has been finalised after over six years of hectic negotiations. The text of the protocol was agreed upon a few hours before the opening of the fifth meeting of the CoP/MoP by a group of government representatives known as the Group of the Friends of the Co-Chairs on Liability and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety that was set up in the last meeting of CoP/MoP in Bonn

Named after two cities where the final rounds of negotiations were held, the new treaty will establish international rules and procedures for liability and redress in case of damage to biological diversity resulting from living modified organisms.

The minister said that the 17-Mega Diverse Countries of which India is one would jointly put up proposals. However, there is a difference of opinion on the issue the date of implementation of ABS protocol. African and Central American countries want the protocol to be implemented from a restrospective date.

India has made domestic laws for implementation of ABS and about 80 agreements have been signed by different companies, groups and individuals for access and benefit sharing with communities who won the biological resources.

The final report of the Economics of Ecosystem and Biodiversity (TEEB) is likely to be released in Nagoya. The CoP-10 may give approval for setting up of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and India would like to host its secretariat.

The minister said that India was looking forward to the finalisation of the post 2010 Strategic Plan on Biodiversity at Nagoya. It recognises that some of the goals and targets in the draft plan are indeed too ambitious and not implementable for many countries. India would support the provision of adequate, timely and proportionate financial and technological support to eligible developing countries for helping them to achieve these targets.
During CoP-10, a high level ministerial segment will be organised by the host country in consultation with the secretariat and the bureau from October 27 to 29.

The minister said that India would urge for total disclosure by the patent offices about the source of the product patented. The TRIPS Agreement of the WTO should be CBD compliant.