Since the advent of bioprospecting, samples of genetic resources can be commissioned by foreign firms in order to determine the properties of these resources, to isolate the active ingredients and to develop commercial products. These products, when they prove to be interesting and accepted according to the required standards, are patented in the name of the legal or natural person who developed them, without compensation to the country of origin. Until today, Burundi is no exception to this sad reality. Thus, the legal vacuum in this area favors the fraudulent use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Recognizing this problem and the importance of safeguarding genetic resources, the country Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to adopt, in Nagoya, Japan in October 2010, a Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from them (PN/APA).

In accordance with article 15 of the CBD, this protocol clarifies all the outlines of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The objective of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits (PN/APA) is to ensure that those who access genetic resources (firms, researchers, etc.) share the monetary (royalties) and non-monetary benefits (capacity development, research equipment support, etc.) that they derive from the use of such resources with countries of origin and local communities in these countries.

Burundi has adhered to the Nagoya Protocol according to law No. 1/21 of 23 June 2014. With this accession, the Government of Burundi, through the Ministry of Water, Environment, Land Use and Urban Development, is taking all the useful and necessary measures to guarantee the implementation of the Protocol in Burundi.

Thus, based on the text of the Convention (art. 15), the Nagoya Protocol and the Bonn Guidelines, States must define their own national frameworks, in particular by adopting clear legislative, administrative or public policy measures to regulate access to resources under their authority. This is the framework within which this strategy is located, which will serve as a strategic orientation for all ABS interventions. It also appears as a tool to contribute to the reduction of poverty, through the valorization of biogenetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

This strategy document is part of the project “Ratification and Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Use in COMIFAC Area Countries” funded by UNEP/GEF.