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Augustine B. Njamnshi  and Johnson G. Jato,

CHALLENGES IN NEGOTIATING AND IMPLEMENTING ABS AGREEMENTS: A TEN YEAR EXPERIENCE FROM AN NGO IN CAMEROON Access and Benefit Sharing Management Tool (ABS – MT) International Stakeholder Workshop 27 and 28 November 2006, Costa Rica. Augustine B. Njamnshi  and Johnson G. Jato,

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Augustine B. Njamnshi  and Johnson G. Jato,

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  1. CHALLENGES IN NEGOTIATING AND IMPLEMENTING ABS AGREEMENTS:A TEN YEAR EXPERIENCE FROM AN NGO IN CAMEROONAccess and Benefit Sharing Management Tool (ABS – MT) International Stakeholder Workshop27 and 28 November 2006, Costa Rica Augustine B. Njamnshi and Johnson G. Jato, Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme Cameroon

  2. ABOUT BDCPC • BDCP-Cameroon is registered as a non-governmental, not-for-profit membership organization (NGO) • The mission of BDCPC is to promote Research and development (R&D) through effective partnerships and networking. • Preserve traditional conservation methods, develop long-term strategies to ensure sustainable use of biodiversity, drug discovery, carry out biodiversity inventories and surveys, and to promote environmental law and policy development.

  3. SHAMAN PHARMACEUTICALS INC • Shaman Pharmaceuticals Inc. a company which had a unique system of compensation for ethno biological knowledge - short term, medium term and long term compensation in addition to royalties • Shaman became interested in work in Cameroon after a visit in March 1995 to determine the possibilities for future collaboration and the institutional capacity of the country to support such work.

  4. SHAMAN/BDCPC COLLABORATION • Training courses in ethno biology and field taxonomy • basic plant taxonomy, • classification, • herbarium sample preparation • ethnographic data collection

  5. SHAMAN/BDCPC COLLABORATION 2. The diabetes field survey • The search for plants that treat non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) • Trained ethnobotanists had to collect field in collaboration with the traditional healers of their areas of origin. • Those that showed some activity were to be recollected again o request from Shaman Pharmaceuticals.

  6. Benefit Sharing • Immediate reciprocity and compensation • Each ethnobotanist had an amount of money that they disbursed to the collaborating healers • Collaborating Institutions also received some form of immediate in kind support • Training in ethno biology and field Taxonomy • Long Term Benefits • BDCPC has been informed that although Shaman was no more, the new company that bought the data still has the same benefit sharing commitment as was Shaman. I is hoped that when a drug finally makes it to the market, Cameroon will still benefit.

  7. CHALLENGES IN NEGOTIATION • No comprehensive (stand alone) ABS in Cameroon • The other Party i.e. Shaman was from America which had not signed the CBD • Multiple State Actors in (MINREST, MINEF etc) • Some terms of the contract brought I some tensions egg courts of jurisdiction

  8. CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION • Compensation for participating state institutions was in kind and not in cash (i.e. who determines what their needs are) • The fact that traditional healers had to take what they diagnosed as diabetes for lab tests was not common for them and this narrowed down the choice of the healers • High expectations especially as parties thought at the time that using traditional knowledge will cut down the time frame.

  9. CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTATION continued • Technically we were not able to maintain some standards • Shaman was declared bankrupt at some time and was sold . It has passed through so many hands and it now has a different name. We were not officially consulted although we still maintain contact with company • We only depend on the “good faith"

  10. THE MT IN CAMEROON • Cameroon is a biodiversity rich country • Some of genetic resources from Cameroon have found their way to the international mkt • Prunus Africana is one of them and has been exploited since 1972 • Communities are getting more concious about the sustainable use of these resources • They find themselves exposed to competition with purely commercial competitors

  11. WHAT STAGE IS THE MT IN CAMEROON • Have agreed the local community to test the MT • Have contacted the government institutions • Have had one capacity building workshop with one community • Other communities have asked us to do the workshop with them

  12. GENERAL CHALLENGES • High hopes and many expectations from the communities • Bioprospecting highly pre-disposed for stigmatization • Technology transfer is very rudimentary

  13. How the MT can Address These General Challenges • An awareness raising tool • Capacity Building workshops facilitates gov’t, local communities and other stake holder dialogue • Given the opportunity should be tested in many different scenarios within a country before drawing a conclution.

  14. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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