Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Community Protocols and Procedures

This report by Natural Justice and the ABS Capacity Development Initiative provides lessons and case studies on the development of community protocols in Africa to facilitate Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge (aTK) under the Nagoya Protocol.

• Community protocols are most effective when developed in response to a specific opportunity or threat, such as a new access application or a risk of misappropriation, rather than in a vacuum. To maintain short-term value for the community, these protocols should broaden their scope beyond ABS to include general resource valorization, such as biotrade challenges or national market product development.
• The process of creating a community protocol is as significant as the final document; it should be community-led and reflect local governance and values to ensure ownership. A robust process requires the inclusion of a broad spectrum of perspectives, specifically targeting women, youth, and the elderly, while balancing the role of customary leadership and traditional knowledge holders.
• Supporting organizations (NGOs and CBOs) should focus on the legal empowerment of the community rather than simply drafting the documents for them. This involves helping communities identify relevant local, national, and international laws and training them to use these instruments in negotiations.
• While community protocols provide a vital interface between customary law and national frameworks, they cannot replace national-level procedures for obtaining Prior Informed Consent (PIC). For these protocols to be effective, a national framework for the protection of traditional knowledge must exist to ensure customary rules are respected once knowledge is accessed.
• Case studies in Africa demonstrate the utility of protocols in securing benefits: in South Africa, the National Khoi and San Council used the process to assert status as knowledge holders for Rooibos and Honeybush, leading to a benefit-sharing agreement with Nestlé South Africa in January 2014. In Benin, the Degbe Aguinninnou community identified 40 traditional medicinal recipes through the documentation of aTK.
• The absence of a community protocol can lead to significant delays and internal conflict. In a Cameroon case involving the plant Echinops giganteus, initial negotiations were conducted with a low-level chief without a clear mandate, which later caused conflict when a first-degree traditional chief intervened, nearly causing the private sector user to lose interest.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Community Protocols and Procedures. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/first-assessment-review-nagoya-protocol-cbd.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Community Protocols and Procedures. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/first-assessment-review-nagoya-protocol-cbd.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Community Protocols and Procedures |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/first-assessment-review-nagoya-protocol-cbd.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendexperiences, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Experiences and Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Community Protocols and Procedures}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/first-assessment-review-nagoya-protocol-cbd.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }