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India Leads Nagoya Protocol Compliance
India emerges as a global leader in issuing compliance certificates under the Nagoya Protocol. India submits its first national implementation report in 2026, reaffirming its position in access and benefit-sharing compliance.
Nagoya Protocol:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Legal Status | Is a legally binding international agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity. |
| Aim | Provides for fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. |
| Adoption and Enforcement | Was adopted in October 2010 at Nagoya, Japan, and has come into force on 12 October 2014. |
| Objectives | Provides for benefit sharing, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and legal certainty and transparency for users and providers. |
| Core Pillars | Comprises three pillars: access through prior informed consent; benefit sharing through mutually agreed terms; and compliance with legal access provisions. |
| Coverage | Applies to genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and benefits arising from their utilisation. |
| Membership | Comprises 142 parties as of August 2025, including the European Union; major non-parties include the USA, Canada, and Russia. |
| India Ratification | Has been ratified by India in 2012. |
| Implementation in India | Is implemented through the National Biodiversity Authority at the central level, State Biodiversity Boards or Union territory Biodiversity Councils at the state level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local level under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. |
| IRCC Definition | Provides for Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance as proof of prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms between users and providers. |
| ABS Clearing-House | Provides for uploading of IRCC details on the Access and Benefit Sharing Clearing-House. |
| India IRCC Performance | Provides for issuance of 3,561 IRCCs out of a global total of 6,311, accounting for over 56% of certificates. |
| Global Comparison | France issues 964 IRCCs, Spain 320, Argentina 257, Panama 156, and Kenya 144. |
| Recent Development | India has submitted its first national implementation report in 2026. |