The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing is all set to enter into force from October 12, 2014 pursuant to its ratification by 51 countries (ratification by 50 countries being the threshold requirement). The Nagoya Protocol, which aims to protect countries from biopiracy and misappropriation of biological resources, was agreed to in October 2010. India had signed the same in 2011 an the Union Cabinet had ratified it in 2012. (Swaraj’s post on the same is available here). The threshold limit of 50 countries was crossed last week when 12 nations ratified the protocol, namely, Belarus, Burundi, Gambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Peru, Sudan, Switzerland, Vanuatu, Uganda and Uruguay. The full list of the signatories and ratification is available here. IPwatch reports that the first meeting of the parties to the Protocol is scheduled to be held during the Conference of Parties to the CBD, slated from 13-17 October in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
