The Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) performs a number of regulatory functions including Biodiversity Conservation and Protection. Section 66 of the Environment Management Act No.23 of 2017 states that the Biological and generic resources of Malawi shall constitute an integral part of the natural wealth of the people of Malawi and shall be protected, conserved, managed and utilized for the benefit of the people of Malawi. To ensure this, MEPA regulates access to, export of, and benefit sharing from the utilization of biological resources. This leaflet explains the important aspects of Access and Benefit Sharing.
It takes a minimum of two months. However, duration depends on how long it takes for the users to reach an agreement (ABS Contract) with the provider.
The rationale for benefits to be shared is because the provider has heavily invested in the conservation and management of the biological resource(s) and has developed knowledge and skills on the use of the resource over the years. The benefits are incentives to the provider for conservation and sustainable use and provides resources for further conservation.
YES. If the utilization of the biological resources is for research and development that is not regulated under ITPGRFA then that type of utilization falls under ABS.
Yes. A local researcher must be part of the team for capacity building.
All biological resources from Malawi in any form including genetic information, derivatives, sequence information; and traditional knowledge related to biological resources.
