Acceso y participación en los beneficios

This guide by Natural Justice introduces the concept of Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS), focusing on the rights and responsibilities of indigenous peoples and local communities regarding genetic resources and traditional knowledge. It outlines international legal frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol, to help communities negotiate fair terms with external researchers and governments.

• Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) is defined as the "distribución justa y equitativa de los beneficios derivados de la utilización de los recursos genéticos." It aims to address historical imbalances where resources from the Global South are used for products in the Global North without fair compensation to the communities that maintained the biodiversity.
• The international legal framework for ABS is primarily governed by the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), the Bonn Guidelines (2004), and the Nagoya Protocol (2010). The Nagoya Protocol is highlighted as particularly relevant for its recognition of community protocols and customary laws.
• Communities have specific rights under the CBD and Nagoya Protocol, including the right to be consulted before access to genetic resources is granted, to be fully informed, and to "Dar o denegar su autorización o consentimiento para la utilización de los recursos genéticos." They also have the right to negotiate "condiciones mutuamente acordadas" for the distribution of monetary and non-monetary benefits.
• Prior Informed Consent (PIC) is described as a process rather than a single act. It requires that the process be "Previo" (allowing time for analysis), "Informado" (providing objective, updated information in a comprehensible language), and result in "Consentimiento" (authorization for a project). The document notes that the CBD and Nagoya Protocol do not sufficiently emphasize that this consent must be "libre" (free from coercion or pressure).
• Governments hold "derecho soberano" over natural resources within their territories and are responsible for creating transparent domestic legislation for ABS. They must ensure that the "consentimiento previo e informado" of indigenous and local communities is obtained and that customary laws are considered.
• The guide identifies two major challenges for communities: the requirement for "Derechos establecidos," meaning ABS rights often only apply if the state officially recognizes the community's rights to the resources, and the lack of emphasis on the "free" aspect of consent.
• Case studies illustrate the complexities of ABS: the San and Nama communities in Southern Africa faced disputes over the distribution of benefits and legitimacy of agreements regarding the Hoodia plant, while the Kani community in Southern India saw the development of the drug Jeevani from the arogyapacha plant, though some elders opposed the sharing of sacred knowledge and the plant faced extinction due to overexploitation.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). Acceso y participación en los beneficios. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Access-and-Benefit-Sharing-Spanish.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Acceso y participación en los beneficios. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Access-and-Benefit-Sharing-Spanish.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Acceso y participación en los beneficios |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Access-and-Benefit-Sharing-Spanish.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendacceso, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Acceso y participación en los beneficios}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Access-and-Benefit-Sharing-Spanish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }