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Fifth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing
(ABS 5)
8-12 October 2007
Montreal, Canada |
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| Highlights from Thursday, 11 October |
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Delegates to the fifth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) met all day in plenary. In the morning, delegates considered compliance, capacity building and indictors for ABS in the context of an international regime on ABS. In the afternoon, delegates addressed two informal documents tabled by the Co-Chairs: a compendium of proposals made during the week and a document comprising the Co-Chairs' reflections on progress made by ABS 5.
Photo: Mattias Ahren, Saami, Sweden (right), discussed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Implementation of the CBD during a lunchtime side event.
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| Reflections on convergence and compendium of proposals |
| ABS Working Group Co-Chair Timothy Hodges (left) introduced two informal documents: a compendium of proposals made at ABS 5 and a text entitled “Reflections on progress made by the Working Group on ABS at its Fifth Meeting.” The EU (center) welcomed the Co-Chairs' suggested organization of work prior to COP 9, including an invitation to make written submissions.
Gurdial Singh Nijar, Malaysia, speaking for the Like-minded Megadiverse Countries (right), said that both documents support the elaboration of a regime. |
Felicity Buchanan, New Zealand (left), stressed that conclusions drawn in the reflections document go beyond what should be considered areas of convergence. David Dutton, Australia (right), stated that parties are travelling down two different roads, one leading to an international regime, another towards additional measures to support national implementation. |
Ositadinma Anaedu, Nigeria (left), encouraged delegates to make submissions during the intersessional period to achieve more clarity by ABS 6.
Merle Alexander, Dena Kayeh Institute (right), for the North American Caucus,
supported forwarding the documents to ABS 6 and suggested that the ABS 5 report be made available for the Working Group on Article 8(j). |
| ENB writer Sikina Jinnah speaks with Leonard Hirsch, US (left), and ENB writer Asheline Appleton speaks with delegates (right). |
| CBD Executive Secretary Ahmed
Djoghlaf speaks with delegates before the convening of the afternoon session. |
| Jorge B. Riaboi, Argentina (left) suggested classifying the Co-Chairs' documents as information documents for ABS 6. EU delegates consult on the Co-Chairs' documents (right). |
Side Event: The International Regime: Implications for Pharmaceutical Research and Development |
This side event, organized by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA),
provided a view on the international regime from the perspective of Europe's pharmaceutical industry.
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| Side Event: UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Implementation of the CBD |
The side event, organized by the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, discussed the recently approved UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and how Article 8(j) of the CBD must take these rights into account.
Photo (left to right): Moderator Lucy Mulenkei, Global Forest Coalition, Marcial Arias, Kuna People, Panama, Mattias Ahren, Saami, Sweden, and Joji Carino, Igorot, Philippines |
| Side Event: Exploring Issues Raised by Synthetic Biology |
| This side event, organized by the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration,
discussed the recent application for a patent on the first completely human-made species and its implications. |
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