COP17: Can countries break deadlock on sharing benefits from nature’s digital data?
As world leaders prepare to gather in Armenia for the UN biodiversity conference, discussions over Digital Sequence Information are reaching a tipping point The post COP17: Can countries break deadlock on sharing benefits from nature’s digital data? appeared first on Dialogue Earth .
The COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia is currently debating a new system for sharing benefits from digital genetic information, known as Digital Sequence Information (DSI). DSI refers to genetic data stored in online databases, which can be accessed and used by researchers without handling the original specimen. According to the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), companies and researchers must obtain permission to collect biological material and share its benefits.
The Cali Fund was established at COP16 to channel part of the commercial value of DSI into biodiversity protection. Commercial users are invited to contribute 1% of annual profits or 0.1% of revenues. However, despite its potential, the fund has seen low uptake so far, with only USD 6,000 in contributions since its launch over a year and a half ago.
Experts attribute the low capitalisation to the voluntary nature of contributions and companies' concerns about legal certainty. While the Nagoya Protocol provides legal requirements for national enforcement, some companies fear that paying into the global fund won't protect them from national regulations. Experts also question how multilateral mechanisms like the Cali Fund characterize corporate responsibilities, as some developing countries object to the fund being described as a voluntary donation rather than an obligation and right of countries.
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