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Islamabad: Chairman Intellectual Property Organization (IPO-Pakistan) Former Federal Minister for Environment Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi (MNA) has stressed for expediting the process of promulgation Biodiversity Act/ABS (Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing) law which would help to resolve the complex issues of Access to Genetic Resources besides formulation of an effective mechanism to benefit the stakeholders and the beneficiaries.
He expressed these views while addressing the concluding session of 2-Day National Consultative Workshop on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Law for Pakistan jointly organized by Inspector General Forests, Planning and Development Division IUCN on Thursday.
The eminent experts in the relevant field including Syed Mahmood Nasir, Inspector General of Forests, Mahmood Akhtar Cheema , Manager, IUCN, Islamabad, Mamoona Wali Mohammad Technical Officer Biodiversity, Biodiversity Directorate, P and DDPC, Ms. Patti Moore, head of IUCN, Inamullah Khan, Project Manager, Junipers, Zulfiqar Khan, Dr. Aftab Saeed and Shah Murad Aliani Country Representative IUCN, Pakistan par Environmental Law Programme Asia Region, Provincial Representatives and experts.
Hameed Ullah Jan Afridi said that national conservation and biodiversity strategies are vital to find out ways and means to protect our precious indigenous wealth of genetic resources. He said diversity of Pakistan’s biological resources needed to be preserved and the issues relating to the subjects were raised during the Conference of Parties COP of CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) at Nagoya last year.
He said research organizations would also contribute for promotion of research in related topics. He assured every possible support to regulate the proposed draft of ABS and said it should be finalized after detailed discussions with the Provinces as well as the stakeholders so that its implementation could be ensured at gross root level. He said that IPO legislation about the Geographical Indication is also in process.
Mahmood Akhtar Cheema , Manager, IUCN, Islamabad said that brain storming sessions were held in the presence of experts and very effective proposals had been presented to make the ABS draft more representative.
IG Forest Mr. Mehmood Nasir said that inclusion of certain clauses of ABS law in IPO regularity affairs can help for protected use of natural resources. He also emphasized that the conservation of biological resources was mandatory for Pakistan that is the party to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Dr. Aftab Saeed talked about the regulation of derivatives.
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