The

 Access  and  Benefit-­‐Sharing  (ABS)  

Capacity-­‐Building  Project  
Elpidio  V.  Peria,  Legal  Adviser  on  ABS  
Wildlife  Management  Sec0on  
Wildlife  Resources  Division,  PAWB  
PBSAP  2020  Mindanao2  ConsultaFon,  
 Davao    City  
23-­‐25  October  2013  
 OVERVIEW  
•  Project  Backgrounder  
•  What  is  ABS  all  about?  
•  RelaFonship  of  the  Project  with  PBSAP  
 
 PROJECT  BACKGROUNDER  
•  NAME  OF  PROJECT  :    
             Building  Capacity  For  Regionally  Harmonized  Na0onal  Processes  For  
Implemen0ng  CBD  Provisions  On  Access  To  Gene0c  Resources  And  Sharing  Of  
Benefits  In  The  Philippines”  
 
 
•  Funded  by  the  Global  Environment  Facility  (GEF)  through  the  ASEAN  Center  for  
Biodiversity  (ACB)  

•  Philippines,  along  with  ASEAN  member-­‐states  (except  Indonesia)  is  implemenFng  

the  project  since  beginning  of  2013  

•  DELIVERABLES  
                 -­‐    IdenFfy  capacity-­‐building  areas  for  ABS  policy  implementaFon  
                 -­‐  develop  policy  measures  to  enable  country  to  raFfy  the  Nagoya  Protocol  on  ABS  
What  is  ABS  all  about?    
 Biopiracy  –  historical  background  
l  Since  the  era  of  the  spice  trade  and  the  rise  of  the    
colonial  powers  ,  biological  materials  were  collected  by  
explorers/plant  collectors,  such  as  :  
 
l   Tobacco  from  LaFn  America  
l  Sugar  cane  from  Pacific  Islands  to  China  and  India  to  
Mediterranean  
l  Co_on  from  India,  LaFn  America  
l  Tea,  peach  from  China  
l  Quinine  from  Peru    
  Biopiracy  in  the  modern  era    
l  The  term  was  invented  by  Canadian  NGO  
Rural  Advancement  FoundaFon  InternaFonal  
(RAFI),  now  called  the  ETC  Group  

l  Starts  with  the  patenFng  of  the  plant  

material  or  the  acFve  compound  but  more  
oaen  this  involves  the  collecFon  of  biological  
materials  and  tradiFonal  knowledge  (TK)  :  
 
l  Done  without  permission,  or  knowledge  by  
the  country  or  community  
 
l  Transfer  of  informaFon  to  others  who  may  
commercialize  the  knowledge  
 
l  Nothing  returns  to  the  country  or  the    
community  
 
l  Non-­‐recogniFon  of  the  country  or  the  
community  in  the  publicaFon  or  
commercializaFon  of  the    product  
 
l  CommodificaFon  of  the  resource  and  the  
knowledge    
 
 
InternaFonal  Cases  -­‐  neem    
l  “wonder  tree”  in  India  
               -­‐  toothbrush,                              
                   insecFcide,  etc.  
 
l  Patented  by  WRGrace  

 
l  Patent  cancelled    March  
8,  2005    
 InternaFonal  Cases  -­‐  rice  
•  Syngenta's worldwide patent
application on rice genome in
more than 100 countries
•  Filed in 2002,
•  WO 03/008540 claims gene
sequences relevant for plants
under stress conditions
•  WO 03/000905 claims gene
sequences with relevance to
nutritional value of traits
•  WO 03/000906 claims gene
sequences involved in defense
mechanisms against diseases
InternaFonal  cases  –  pig      
•  In WO 2005/015989
(EP1651030 A0) Monsanto
describes general methods of
pig breeding, such as normal
crossing and selecting methods,
using artificial insemination and
other methods which are already
in use.
•  The main so-called „invention“
is a certain way to combine
these elements to speed up
breeding for animals that are
better in meat quality, health or
in other economical aspects.
 InternaFonal  cases  –  ampalaya      
•  As early as 29 May 1987, three
Americans and one Chinese
national from Hong Kong filed at
the US Patent and Trademark
Office what they claimed was a
novel product and method that
could treat HIV. They entered their
invention as “method of inhibiting
HIV,” which was approved 3
January 1989.
 InternaFonal  cases  -­‐  patenFng  of  
indigenous  peoples  
l  Hagahai  tribe’s  T-­‐cell  line    in    
Papua  New  Guinea  (PNG  Govt  
protested  and  the  patent  was  
withdrawn  in  1999;    s6ll  available  at  
the  American  Type  Culture  Collec6on  
ATCC  Number  CRL-­‐10528  Organism  :  
Homo  Sapiens  for  $  216)  
 
 
 
 
 
l  Guaymi  (human  T-­‐lymphocyte  
cell-­‐line)  in    Panama  
 
 
Philippine  cases  –  more  on  lack  of  
benefit-­‐sharing  
l  ILOSONE    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
l  CONUS  snail    
Philippine  cases  in  PALAWAN    -­‐  biopiracy  or  simple  
misunderstanding  of  basic  permihng  rules?    

 
•  4  Slovak  scienFsts  arrested  in  
February  2000  a_empFng  to  
take  out  of  Palawan  2  boxes  
containing  insect  specimens  
collected  without  permit  

•  French  research  ship  whose  

scienFsts  collected  specimens    
without  proper  permits  
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Bioprospecting Activities Identified

1) Survey of Indigenous Plants in Samar for Cosmetics
Application (Samar State University)

2) Identification of anti-cancer and antibiotic properties of

Polipog, Connarus Seminicandrus (Eastern Samar
State University with Phil. Council for Health Research
and Development)
3) Collection and Screening of Endophytic Microorganisms from
Selected Soils in the Philippines for the Production of Antibiotics
(Leyte State University)
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Studies On Identified Biological Resources And Their

Uses

1) Assessment and Ecology of Oyster (Samar State University)

2) Medicinal Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil on Chickens (Samar State U.)
3) Product Development of Eucheuma spp. Seaweeds (ESSU)
4) Product Development of Tuna (ESSU)
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Other Activities And Studies Involving Biological

Resources

1) Collection of Cuperaceae, Piperales and a few other species

(Ghent University)
2) Resource Assessment of Mangroves (ESSU)
3) Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Medicine Practitioners in
Some Areas in Samar (UP Tacloban)
4) Biodiversity Resource Assessments (Samar Island Biodiversity
Project) – floral diversity, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals
5) Tree farming for the timber market (Univ.of Queensland, LSU,
DENR)
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Other Activities And Studies Involving Biological

Resources

6) Rainforestation Farming Technology indigenous local tree species,

including Musa textiles (Euronatur, Univ. of Hohenheim, LSU)
7) Development of natural alternatives from abaca fibers,
incorporation of abaca in rainforestation project (LSU,
DaimlerChrysler)
8) Survey and Conservation of Coral Reefs (Coral Cay Conservation,
Provincial Govt of S. Leyte, PRRCFI)
9) Study on Coral Reefs and Marine Biodiversity in General
(Euronatur, Univ. of Hohenheim, LSU)
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Other Activities And Studies Involving Biological Resources

10) Study on Diversity and Abundance of Arthropods

(Univ. of Hohenheim)
11) Panglao Marine Biodiversity Project 2004-2005 – Survey of the
Deep-water Benthic Fauna of Bohol Sea and Adjacent Waters (Total
Foundation, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French National
Museum of Natural History, University of San Carlos, ARCBC)
12) Survey and Collection of sympatric populations of O. minufa, O.
officinalis, and their natural hybrids (IRRI, IPB-UPLB, PhilRice)
 Philippine Cases – What has happened to them now?

GTZ-PAWB 2007 STUDY FINDINGS

•  Other Activities And Studies Involving Biological Resources

13) Ethnobotanical Fieldwork among members of Cienda San Vicente

Farmers’ Association in Mt. Pangasugan, Leyte
(University of Hohenheim)
14) Addressing biodiversity and local forest knowledge in forestry
curriculum and teaching materials (Univ. of Reading, LSU)
15) Cultivation and Processing of Abaca Fibers (Univ. of Hohenheim,
LSU)
 What  is  the  PotenFal  of  ABS?  
•  2008  Technical  Paper  of  the  ConvenFon  on  Biological  Diversity  on  Access  and  
Benefit-­‐Sharing  :  Trends  in  Partnerships  Across  Sectors  show  the  following    US  $  
896.8  billion  market  value  per  sector  in  2006  broken  down  as  follows  :  
 
•  a)  pharmaceuFcal  industry  –  US$  643  billion;  
•  b)  biotechnology  industry  (pharmaceuFcal,  agricultural  and  industrial  process  
technology)  –  US  $70  billion;  
•  c)  seed,  crop  protecFon  and  plant  biotechnology  industry  –  US$  30  billion;  
•  d)  ornamental  horFculture  (live  trees,  plants,  bulbs,  roots,  cut  flowers  and  foliage)  -­‐    
US$  14,386    million;  
•  e)    botanicals  (herbal  dietary  supplements)  –  US$  21.8  billion  (2005  figures)  
•  f)  herbal  personal  care  and  cosmeFc  sector  –  US  12  billion  (2005  figures)  
•  g)    'healthy  foods”  (funcFonal  foods,  natural  and  organic  foods  and”lesser  evil”  
foods)  –  US  market  value  alone  is  US$  120  billion  
 l  International
Trends in
Demand for Patent Protection
for Plants

Patent Publication counts as an indicator of demand.

Source : Paul Oldham, 2006
WHAT  IS  A    PATENT  ?    

•  a    form  of  intellectual  

property  right  (IPR)  

•  limited  monopoly  granted  

by  the  State  to  inventors,  
usually,  20  years      

•  Gives  exclusive  rights  to  

patent  holders  to  demand  
royalFes  from  those  who  
wish  to  use  the  patent  
 WHO  is  doing  the  patenFng?  

•  Companies  
•  Governments  
•  Researchers  
•  Other  enFFes  
 Can  biodiversity  be  patented?  
•  Last  13  June  2013,  the  US  
Supreme  Court  issued  a  
unanimous  ruling  in    
Associa6on  for  Molecular  
Pathology,  et.al.    v.  Myriad  
Gene6cs,  Inc.,    

•  a  naturally  occurring  DNA  

segment  is  a  product  of  
nature  and  NOT  patent  
eligible  merely  because  it  has  
been  isolated,  
 
•  but  complementary  or  cDNA,  
(a  synthesized  analogue  of  the  
same  DNA),    is  patent  eligible  
 THE BASIC ISSUES
•  Fair and Equitable Benefit-Sharing
– how do we get a share from the utilization and commercialization
of our rich biological diversity while prioritizing the development of
our technological capacity on breakthrough technologies using
biodiversity?

•  The problem of biopiracy and misappropriation

- the taking of biological resources without permission
and the application of IPRs (patents, etc.) on them
- bad patents/lack of benefit-sharing/prior informed
consent, etc;
- should life-forms be patented at all?

•  Recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples

- what rights to the resources (land, biological resources, TK,
cultural heritage, etc.) to be given to them vis-à-vis the majority
THE UNIQUE SITUATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

•  First to come up with ABS legislation

– before it was Executive Order 247, now it’s the Wildlife Act
(RA 9147) and its implementing regulations

•  Significant legislation on indigenous peoples’ rights, biodiversity

and IPRs (plant variety protection)
- IP Code (RA 8293) , IPRA (RA 8371), TAMA (RA 8423),
PVP Act (RA 9168), TechTransfer Act (RA 10055);
Cultural Heritage Act (RA10066)

•  Sustainable Development a Stated Government Concern

- with an established Philippine Council for Sustainable Development;
- with an articulated Philippine Agenda 21, recently enhanced but
consistently ignored substantively in development planning
 Before  the  Nagoya  Protocol,  the  problem  of  
countries  confronted  with  biopiracy  involved…,  

•  Lack  of  internaFonal  measures  to  track  

patenFng  and  commercializaFon  of  biological  
resources  

•  Lack  of  internaFonal  measures  to  ensure  

exisFng  ABS  legislaFon  are  enforced  

•  Lack  of  contracts  or  agreements  for  benefit-­‐

sharing    on  some  collecFons  of  biological  
specimens  
 
 OBJECTIVES  of  the    
ConvenFon  on  Biological  Diversity  (CBD)    
BASIC  NATIONAL  OBLIGATIONS  
hQp://www.cbd.int/programmes/outreach/
awareness/publica0ons.shtml,  accessed  8  Mar  
2013  

•  CONSERVATION  (arts.  6-­‐9)  

•  SUSTAINABLE  USE  (art.10)  

•  FAIR  AND  EQUITABLE  

BENEFIT-­‐SHARING  FROM  
THE  UTILIZATION  OF  
GENETIC  RESOURCES  (art.
15)  
BUT  ….  FAIR  and  EQUITABLE  
BENEFIT-­‐SHARING    
obliga0ons      
 

-­‐   is  NOT  actually  provided  

for  in  detail  by  the  CBD  

-­‐ -­‐  CBD  text  talks  only  about  

ACCESS    to  geneFc  
resources  and  how  it  may  
be  facilitated,  which  is  
through  naFonal  
legislaFon  (art.  15,  CBD)  

-­‐ -­‐  this  was  why  developing  

countries  pushed  for  the  
NAGOYA  PROTOCOL  
 CBD  AcFon  on    
Access  and  Benefit-­‐Sharing  
l  Bonn  Guidelines  adopted    in  COP  6  (2002)    

l  Rio+10  or  WSSD  (2002)  called  for  the  negoFaFon  

of  what  it  called  the  InternaFonal  Regime  on  ABS  
 
l COP  7  (2004)    mandated  ABS  WG  to  commence    
negoFaFons  of  the  InternaFonal  Regime  on  ABS  
 
l ABS  WG  3-­‐  Bangkok    (February  2005)  

l ABS  WG  4  –  Granada  (Jan  2006)  

l ABS  WG  5  –  Montreal  (October  2007)  

l ABS  WG  6  –  Geneva  (January  2008)  

l ABS  WG  7  –  Paris  (April  2009)  

l ABS  WG  8  –  Montreal  (October  2009)  

l ABS  WG  9    -­‐  Colombia  (March  2010)  

l ABS  WG  9  resumed  –  Montreal        (Jul  2010)  

l COP  10  –    Nagoya  Protocol  adopted    (Oct  2010)  

l   ICNP  1  –  Montreal  (November  2011)  

l ICNP  2  -­‐    New  Delhi  (July  2012)  

 
               
 The  Nagoya  Protocol  on  
Access  and  Benefit-­‐Sharing  (ABS)  
hQp://www.cbd.int/abs/,  
accessed    8  Mar  2013  
•  Establishes  an  interna0onal  
tracking/monitoring  system  for  the  
uFlizaFon  of  geneFc  resources  
outside  of  the  country  of  origin  

•  Lays  down  compliance  

mechanisms  such  that  exisFng  ABS  
laws  &  policies  are  followed  in  the  
country  where  the  resources  are  
uFlized  

•  Recognizes  the  customary  law  and  

community  protocols  of  indigenous  
and  local  communiFes  in  access  
and  benefit-­‐sharing  ma_ers  
 There  are  other  InternaFonal  ABS  
Instruments  in  place  
The  WHO  Pandemic  Influenza   The  FAO  InternaFonal  Treaty  on  Plant  GeneFc  
Preparedness  (PIP)  Framework  -­‐  2010   Resources  for  Food  and  Agriculture  -­‐2001  
  
 UPDATES  -­‐  Interna0onal  
Fair  and  Equitable  Benefit-­‐Sharing    
 
•  Nagoya  Protocol  adopted  in  October  2010  

•  25  countries  already  raFfied  (recent  raFfiers  last  

1  October  were  Bhutan,  Côte  D’Ivoire,  Guinea  
Bissau,  Indonesia  and  Norway;    only  25  countries  
remaining  to  50  before  it  will  enter  into  force)  

•  Inter-­‐sessional  acFviFes  on-­‐going  (art.  10  online  

discussion  in  April  10;  Expert  MeeFng  in  June  3-­‐5  to  
develop  a  Draa  Strategic  Framework  for  Capacity-­‐
building;  Experts’  MeeFng  on  art.  10,  17-­‐19  Sept  2013)  
  
 UPDATES    
-­‐  Na0onal  Implementa0on  
Fair  and  Equitable  Benefit-­‐Sharing    
 
•  Agency  concurrences  sFll  being  secured  and  finalized  to  be  sent  to  
DFA;  NCIP  s6ll  in  the  process  of    forwarding  its  concurrence  to  
PAWB  
 
•  ABS  Capacity-­‐building  Project  started  early  2013;  ABS  Roadmap    
Workshop  set  in  April  and  July  2013;  PROJECT  COMPLETION  
REPORT  draa  submi_ed;  FINAL    round  of  consultaFons  in  
November  2013  

•  AcFviFes  to  implement  policy  reform  and  do  capacity  building  on  
ABS  already  idenFfied  and  draa  naFonal  measure  on  ABS  draaed    
(ABS  Roadmap)  
  
What  Does  the  ABS  Capacity-­‐Building  
Project  Have  to  do  with  PBSAP?      
 

•  The  ABS  Capacity-­‐Building  Project  is  a  fulfillment  

of  Target  16!    
 
 By  2015,  the  Nagoya  Protocol  on  Access  to  
Gene6c  Resources  and  the  Fair  and  Equitable  
Sharing  of  Benefits  Arising  from  their  U6liza6on  is  
in  force  and  opera6onal,  consistent  with  na6onal  
legisla6on.  
Draa  policy  measure  on  ABS  
PBSAP  Visayas  
ConsultaFon  
Aug  28-­‐30,  Cebu  City  
 TARGET  16  
ISSUES ACTION/S TIMEF LEAD ADMIN INDICATOR
RAME AND LEVEL
RESPONS
IBLE
ENTITIES

Lack  of   §  Knowledge  and   M,  L   DA,   N,  R   •  Speakers  

knowledge  on   Awareness  –   (conFn DENR,     Pool  at  
ABS  among  the   raising  AcFviFes   uing)   NCIP,     naFonal  
  PCSD     level  
academe  and  the   §  InsFtuFonal  
  (Palawan)     formed  
communiFes   Building  (Capacity  
S      
building  acFviFes  
  •  Training  of  
for  Key  Agencies  
  regional  
in  ABS  
  focals/
implementaFon)  
  LGUs  (all  
 
  agencies)  
§  Development  of  
S   conducted  
IEC  materials  (for    
•  Number  of  
insFtuFon  &  
IEC  
stakeholders)  
materials  
 
printed  
 
Cagayan  de  Oro  City  
(Mindanao  1  
consultaFon,  18-­‐20  
Sept  2013)  
 Target  16  –  Access  and  Benefit  Sharing  
ISSUES ACTION/S TIME- LEAD & ADMIN INDICATOR
FRAME RESPONSIBLE LEVEL
ENTITIES

Limited   Giving   Medi DENR,   Na-­‐   Increased  

funding  for   importance   um   CHED,  LGUs,   Fonal   funding  
biodiversity   to   funding  
research  in   biodiversity   insFtuFons,  
HEIs/SUCs   as  a   Philanthro-­‐
research   pic  organi-­‐  
component   zaFons  
through  
increased  
levels  of  
funding  to  
biodiversity  
research