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The workshop was the first-of-its-kind, national level consultation to develop action points in revising Pakistan’s draft Biodiversity Act and to develop an Access Benefit Sharing law in the context of the Nagoya Protocol.

The extensive 2-day agenda focused on the regulation of derivatives, certification of compliance, regulation of Traditional Knowledge of genetic resources and on the development of an institutional framework for ABS in Pakistan. It was attended by stakeholders from the government, herbal medicine sector and the academia.

The Chief Guest on the occasion was Mr. Ishfaque Ahmad, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.�� Mr. Ishfaque stressed on safegaurding the diversity of Pakistan’s biological resources. He also commended the efforts of the IGF and ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� in facilitating the finalization of the draft law and reiterated that the matter had been placed at very high priority on governmental level.��

Mr. Syed Mahmood Nasir, Inspector General of Forests, in his welcome address emphasized that the conservation of biological resources was mandatory for Pakistan since its a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The panel of speakers and facilitators also included Dr. Maimoona Wali Khan, Technical Officer Biodiversity Directorate, PNDD-PC, who gave an overview of the Nagoya Protocol.

Ms Patricia Moore, Head of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Environmental Law Programme, Asia led the participants through the existing draft of the biodiversity Act and facilitated the discussion along with other ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� experts for their views and inputs on the draft and raised questions relating to enforcement, capacity building, information sharing, regulation of commercial commodities and mechanisms for benefit sharing.

Mr. Zulfiqar Khan, legal expert on Intellectual Property, facilitated the discussions on the protection of traditional knowledge. Dr. Aftab Saeed, Faculty of Eastern Medicine, Hamdard University addressed the topic of regulation of derivatives.��

The next steps and the way forward were discussed by the IGF.

The Chief Guest for the closing ceremony was Mr. Hamidullah Jan Afridi, Chairman Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO), and former federal Minister Environment, who commended the efforts made during the workshop in regulating the process of ABS in Pakistan.

The two-day extensive workshop came to an end with a vote of thanks by Mr. Shah Murad Aliani, Country Representative, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Pakistan.


For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Manager ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Islamabad Programme Office
������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Pakistan. ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Islamabad Program Office, House No. 21 Street No. 88, G-6/3
Islamabad. Phone: +92 51 2271027 – 34, Fax: +92 51 2271 017
[email protected]

About ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��

The world’s oldest and largest global environment network, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��, International Union for Conservation of Nature, envisions a just world that values and conserves nature. ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and developmental challenges. It supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world and brings governments, non-government organizations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy, laws and best practice. The Union’s headquarters are located in Gland, Switzerland.

������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Pakistan is part of the ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��’s Asia Regional Programme based in Bangkok, Thailand. Established in 1985 to assist in the preparation of Pakistan’s National Conservation Strategy, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� Pakistan has grown to become the largest country programme of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��. Together with its partners and members, it is implementing several conservation initiatives across the country through institutional strengthening, policy advocacy and field work. Currently there are 27 active members of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� in Pakistan, including the Government of Pakistan as the state member, six government agencies and 20 NGOs. Over 100 volunteers from Pakistan work in ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��’s six specialised commissions.
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