Integrating African perspectives and priorities into genetic resource regulations: a resource guide for policymakers

This paper focuses on African genetic resources, that, the paper argues, can make a decisive contribution to sustainable development in the region.However, the paper states that genetic resources will only provide maximum benefit when they are regulated, managed, conserved, and utilised within a sound supporting domestic and international policy framework.In this context, a brief reference guide is provided for African policymakers developing regimes governing genetic resources including a picture of how African governments are approaching the issue and identifying options for enabling access to genetic resources.The author identifies the major policy challenges in genetic resource regulation in Africa as:the absence or weakness of legal frameworks, constituting the primary drawback to existing approaches to access and benefit-sharing in Africalack of capacity, to varying degrees, in all African countrieslow awareness and participation, especially among rural communities, in relation to genetic resources.Current regimes governing access to genetic resources and benefit sharing in Africa are characterised as largely sectoral, multi-polar and fragmented.The paper stresses that African countries need to expedite actions in putting in place coherent policies, structures and enacting into laws the various genetic resource regulation draft legislation. As such the creation, mobilisation, and utilisation of expertise to formulate and oversee the implementation of genetic resources policies and laws will require considerable support. The paper calls on African countries to commit themselves to some form of regional or sub-regional cooperation for research and development in genetic resources, and to support such with adequate funding.