Conformité Protocole Nagoya

Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva (CJBG) and Museum of Natural History of Geneva (MHNG)

The CJBG and MHNG honour the letter and spirit of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation (Nagoya Protocol), and other relevant international agreements. Both institutions abide by international and national laws and regulations relating to Access and Benefit sharing (ABS).

As CETAF* members, the CJBG and MHNG commit themselves to the CETAF Code of Conduct and Best Practices for Access and Benefit Sharing. This Code of Conduct applies to biological material* that is acquired newly from a Providing Country, after the entry into force on the 12 October 2014 of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources* and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation. The Nagoya Protocol enforces a framework for collection holding institutions.

For the purpose of basic taxonomic and biodiversity research, education, and conservation the CJBG and MHNG receive genetic resources such as tissue samples, DNA samples, living plants, seeds, environmental samples, herbarium and zoological specimens from sources all over the world and through institutional collecting activities. As a result, their collections grow by approximately 35’000 new herbarium specimens, culture strains, seeds and living plants per year and 15’000 zoological specimens or lots. The CJBG and MHNG receive very heterogeneous material from many different countries worldwide and accordingly the use, storage and distribution are subject to very different conditions and restrictions. Each year, thousands of specimens are also sent for loans to other museums or herbaria worldwide.

Glossary of terms

*CETAF: Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities, a European network of natural science museums, natural history museums, botanical gardens and biodiversity research centres with their associated biological collections and research expertise.

The term “biological material” describes all material in natural history collections, regardless of whether it contains “functional units of heredity” or not. “Genetic resources” is used when specifically referring to “utilisation” within the scope of the Nagoya Protocol.

The CBD and the Nagoya Protocol define “genetic resources” as “genetic material of actual or potential value”, and “genetic material” as “any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin containing functional units of heredity”.