access and benefit sharing

Access and benefit-sharing (ABS) refers to the way in which genetic resources may be accessed, and how the benefits that result from their use are shared between the people or countries using the resources (users) and the people or countries that provide them (providers). In some cases, this also includes valuable traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources that comes from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The benefits to be shared can be monetary, such as sharing royalties when the resources are used to create a commercial product, or non-monetary, such as the development of research skills and knowledge.

One of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as set out in its Article 1, is the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding. The CBD also has several articles (especially Article 15) regarding international aspects of access to genetic resources.