Community Protocols and Access and Benefit Sharing

The adoption of Nagoya Protocol was a landmark event in the history of Convention on Biological Diversity. This article examines the promises and potentials of the Protocol for indigenous peoples and local communities in light of previous experiences in Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS). It points out the pitfalls within the Access and Benefit Sharing framework. Community protocols that are community-led instruments can help communities in engaging with Access and Benefit Sharing and can be useful to communities in legal empowerment. This can transform ABS from ABS-to ABS+.