What is “Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-sharing”?
Access to genetic resources and the sharing of the benefits arising out of their use (ABS) is one of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Article 15 of the CBD provides that access to genetic resources shall be subject to the prior informed consent (PIC) of the Contracting Party providing such resources and based on mutually agreed terms (MAT) in order to ensure the sharing of benefits arising from the commercial or other utilization of these genetic resources with the Contracting Party providing such resources.
