The draft law was developed in development of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010), to which the Republic of Belarus became a party in 2014, thereby assuming obligations to implement it. Our state has significant genetic resources that can be provided to interested countries for use with the receipt of monetary or non-monetary benefits.
The subject of legal regulation of the draft Law is public relations arising in connection with the handling of genetic resources of animals, plants and microorganisms, their parts or derivatives, both those located in conditions specially created by man, and wild animals and wild plants removed or planned to be removed from their natural habitat and growth, as well as traditional knowledge associated with them.
The draft law defines the main terms used in it, such as “genetic resources”, “genetic materials”, “handling of genetic resources” and others.
The main principles in the field of handling genetic resources, which take into account the international obligations of the Republic of Belarus under the Nagoya Protocol, are defined, and the powers of officials and state bodies in the field of handling genetic resources are established, and issues of coordination and scientific support in this area are reflected.
In addition, the draft law defines issues of providing access to genetic resources, the rights and obligations of suppliers and users of such resources, the essential terms of the agreement on their transfer, issues of monitoring in this area, the procedure for distributing monetary and non-monetary benefits from the use of genetic resources.
