[GenderAbs] Welcoming Message

[paula zuñiga]

  Put women’s interests at the centre of the Convention on Biological Diversity – a gender lens on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC)   
   
  Message from the facilitator
   
  It is with great pleasure that we welcome you all back for our List-serve discussion
  on the gender-specific aspects and interests in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
   
  Although we started an Online Discussion earlier, technical problems hampered communication. That’s why we re-start the Discussion and are really looking forward to your inputs, ideas, suggestions and experiences. International CBD-discussions are currently underway regarding aspects that could be considered in the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) international regime and Prior Informed Consent (PIC). 
   
  The results of our Discussion on gender aspects of ABS regime and PIC, will be put forward to the international CBD-discussions.  From 20-31 March the 8th Conference of Parties of the CBD will take place in Brazil, but even earlier Working Groups assemble to discuss ABS regimes and PIC. We hope that our discussion will form  a strong message on the relevance of a gender-specific approach in these discussions 
   
  IUCN  has prepared two background-documents for our discussion: ‘The absence of gender equity from the discussions about the international regime ABS’ and ‘Prior and Informed Consent: a women’s right’ – see attachments. 
   
  Our e-mail discussion takes place from 15 December 2005 until 15 January 2006 (four weeks).  Until 31 December we are focusing our discussions on gender equity in the discussions about the international regime on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS). 
  From 1-15 January we will look specifically to the gender aspects of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) in the CBD-context. 
   
  Period one: 15- 31 December 2005: Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) 
  See attached background document: ‘The absence of gender equity from the discussions about the international regime ABS’.
   
  As the background document underlines: “Although over the last decade a great number of experiences has documented women’s uses of and knowledge about genetic resources, women continue lacking an equitable participation in the access, control and benefit sharing of these resources. Even  though the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) makes references to the role that women play in relation to biodiversity, it is neither sufficient nor does it effectively contribute to promote gender equity. Although the CBD has been in force for over a decade, and despite the significant progress made, no specific decisions have been made regarding fair sharing of benefits and equitable access to the genetic resources, which task entails clear and fair agreements and instruments between user countries and countries of origin. “
   
  Questions that we want to put forward to you for the ABS Discussion:
  (1)   Why should gender equity be included explicitly in the ABS international regime?
  (2)   Which are the specific implications of gender equity and cultural diversity in the formulation of an ABS international regime? 
  (3)   How can (or should) gender equity be included in ABS international regime? How can present ABS discussions make visible and recognize women’s participation?
  (4)   How can an ABS international regime contribute to solve practical aspects that hamper gender equity in terms of access and benefit sharing of benefits of the gender resources and promote equity? 
   
  Please feel invited to share your views and experiences in these areas. You can post your contributions by replying to this message. 
   
  We will keep you informed on the progress of the discussion, and I will summarize the outcomes. 
   
  We are very much looking forward to your contributions.
  Warm regards,
   
  Irene Dankelman
  (facilitator for IUCN)
   



Paula Zúñiga Díaz


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