What are the Bonn Guidelines?
With the CBD in force and countries committed to sharing the benefits of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, a plan was needed to help ensure this happened. As a result, experts from all countries got together in Bonn, Germany (2001) to draw up voluntary guidelines that would help put into practice this aspect of the Convention. This meeting produced the “Bonn Guidelines on Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising out of their Utilization.” These Guidelines, adopted by CBD parties in 2002, are voluntary and intended to help countries draw up national access and benefit-sharing strategies and measures.
