The second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) opens today and will continue until 5 December at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization, in Montreal, Canada. Initially established by the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD to develop guidelines and other approaches for access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing (ABS), the Working Group was reconvened by COP-6, following the adoption of the Bonn Guidelines on ABS.

Following the opening Plenary on Monday morning, delegates are expected to convene in two sub-working groups. Sub-Working Group I (SWG-I) will address: consideration of reports arising from decision VI/24 A on the Bonn Guidelines; use of terms; and other approaches, including consideration of the process, nature, scope, elements and modalities of an international regime on ABS. Sub-Working Group II (SWG-II) will consider measures to support compliance with prior informed consent (PIC) and mutually agreed terms (MAT), and capacity-building needs. On Friday, Plenary will consider draft recommendations to the COP and the reports of the Sub-Working Groups, and will adopt the meeting's report.

The Working Group's recommendations will be forwarded to CBD COP-7, to be held from 9-20 February 2004, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.