DILI, 26 june 2023 (TATOLI)- United Nations Global Environment Program (UNEP) and the Secretary of State for environmental protection hold a workshop for the establishment of the Nagoya protocol for implementing the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) program, aimed to preserve and protect the genetic resource of biodiversity in ocean and land-based in the territory of the Timor-Leste.
Ian Thompson, The Access and Benefit Sharing Specialty, said this workshop will help the government of Timor-Leste through the Secretary of State of environment protection to establish a framework of Nagoya protocol to guide the ABS project on the implementation of the biodiversity department.
“It is required the SEA to provide a laboratory to collect genetic resources from land and ocean-based. It is also the involvement of the Minister of Agriculture and Fishery to establish the traditional knowledge database to collect information from the local community on the genetic resource is required.” Ian Thompson told Tatoli in JL villa, Fatuhada, this Monday.
He added that UNEP is The global authority for the environment with programs focusing on climate, nature, pollution, sustainable development, and more.
UNEP Environment makes an effort to support Timor-Leste in establishing a legal framework for biodiversity in this country.
The main topics discussed included: Convection on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, National Plan requirements, ABS clearing House Mechanism, and Legal Framework & Model Clause.
The Chief of the Department of Biodiversity Conservation, Faustino Resi Bere, said the SEA Department of Biodiversity together with a special Access and Benefit Sharing Specialist share the information on the establishment of the legal framework to protect and preserve genetic resources in the Ocean and land-based.
He explained the legal framework supports the SEA for data collection of genetic resources which can be found in land and sea areas. The information also ensures the establishment of a genetic laboratory.
“The framework is helping us to identify the potential of biodiversity that can be used for drugs or medicine and also for industrial composed of any makeup items,” he said.
According to Bere, SEA has carried out the first phase of data collection and interviews with local people on the natural potential resource, as trees which were identified as containing genetic resources in two municipalities in Baucau in Larsura village and Ataúru municipality in Makadade village.
The biodiversity team also interviewed the local community, questioning their knowledge regarding the natural potential in land and ocean-based in two municipalities.
Mr. Bere emphasized that this framework will strengthen the owner of the products, even though some people in another country can be clime that foreign people produce the product. However, the owner of the product must belong to Timor-Leste.
The workshop is attended by over 50 participants composed including the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), Secretary of State of Environment Protection, National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL), Science of Health Institute (ICS), International Conservation, and Others.
The ABS project is funded by the government of Timor-Leste providing 800 million USD, and also Global Environmental Programme worth 1.3 million USD.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
