Rwanda ratified the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use of biological resources. The Protocol needs to be domesticated through various steps such as the review of the existing legal framework to create an enabling regulatory framework; raise awareness about the potential benefits of the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Mechanism to the local communities and the country at large; as well as build capacity for its implementation (NBSAP, 2016; Rwanda ABS, 2018). The Country also needs to maintain and improve the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM). Some of the proposed actions in the NBSAP include granting access permits for sustainable harvesting/extraction of medicinal plants to local communities living adjacent to protected areas.
National Target 15: By 2017, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is integrated into national legislation and administrative practices and enforced.
Aichi targets