Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique: Current legal and institutional frameworks

This report analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks for protecting traditional knowledge (TK) in Mozambique, focusing on biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional medicine. It identifies a significant gap in functional regulatory frameworks specifically for TK associated with biological resources, though it highlights ongoing efforts to review access and benefit-sharing (ABS) regulations and develop a national TK database.

• Mozambique currently lacks functional regulatory frameworks specifically designed to protect traditional knowledge associated with biological resources, although a favorable political climate is driving progress.
• Decree 19/2007 (Regulation on Access to and Benefit-Sharing) is the primary legislation for protecting TK linked to biodiversity, but it predates the Nagoya Protocol and has faced implementation challenges due to limited human and financial resources.
• The National Directorate for the Environment (DINAB) is leading a review of Decree 19/2007 as of November 2024 to align it with international standards and develop practical tools like a Digital Bioprospecting Portal.
• The 2023 Forestry and Wildlife Law (Law No. 17/2023) protects traditional practices by exempting 'personal consumption'—defined as traditional practices essential to local community needs—from taxation.
• Mozambique's intellectual property laws, including the Copyright Law and Industrial Property Code, are generally ill-suited for TK because they are designed for individual rather than collective ownership.
• Geographical Indications (GI) under the Industrial Property Code offer a flexible mechanism for protecting regional genetic resources; the first GI was awarded to goat meat from Tete province in 2018.
• The Center for Ethnobotanical Research and Development (CIDE) is exploring the creation of a traditional knowledge database focused on ethnobotany, potentially integrating with the BioNoMO database.
• A successful case of benefit-sharing involving TK occurred through a collaboration between the Pedagogical University and AMETRAMO regarding the tree species Tabernaemontana elegans, resulting in a patented cancer treatment with shared financial gains.
• Significant barriers to the effective use of TK laws include high illiteracy rates, a lack of legal documents translated into local languages, and weak community institutions.

APA

Natural Justice (2024). Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique: Current legal and institutional frameworks. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MZ-TK-Legal-Framework-MZ-DRAFT-REPORT-Designed.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique: Current legal and institutional frameworks. 2024. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MZ-TK-Legal-Framework-MZ-DRAFT-REPORT-Designed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique: Current legal and institutional frameworks |date=November 2024 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MZ-TK-Legal-Framework-MZ-DRAFT-REPORT-Designed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2024protecting, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Protecting Traditional Knowledge in Mozambique: Current legal and institutional frameworks}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MZ-TK-Legal-Framework-MZ-DRAFT-REPORT-Designed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }