Access and benefit sharing: policy and legal implications for Papua New Guinea

Access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits that arises because of the utilization of the genetic resources that had been accessed has gained prominence since the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This is primarily the issue addressed by ABS in the CBD. The exploration and use of those biological resources should serve as an incentive to conserve biological resources and their habitats, as well as providing monetary and technological resources and expertise to achieve this purpose. Access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing has been one of the most important active themes of the CBD and of which researchers, collaborators (industry and government) and researching institutions must give due recognition to, especially Article 15. The intention of this so-called “grand-bargain” envisaged in the CBD is to allow biodiverse countries, especially in developing countries like Papua New Guinea to reap the benefits of their biological resources with contributions to the cost of conservation.