Dr Erica McAlisterDepartment of Life Sciences

Accessions In Entomology –regulations and impacts on collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Fieldwork

• Collecting must be down in accordance to local and international law – most important consideration

Access to global Biodiversity

In 1993 this all changed.

Under the Convention on Biological Diversity:

• “States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources…”

• i.e. biodiversity of a country belongs to that country, and non-nationals have no rights to it

One Objective of the CBD is on ‘Access and Benefit-sharing’ (ABS):

“the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic

resources”

• Included in many COP (Conference of the Parties) Decisions

• Formalised through ‘Bonn Guidelines’ (2002)

New material

• Staff obtain permits/ Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and have determined Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT)

• Museum can honour agreements made

• Museum can manage Traditional knowledge as well as specimens

Visa’s

Permits

• Collecting / Export / Import

Traditional Knowledge (TK)

• Knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and Local Communities (ILCs) related to genetic resources

• PIC of ILCs should be sought whenever TK associated with genetic resources is to be collected

• Users of genetic resources should negotiate MAT with ILCs to encourage the equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of traditional knowledge

– This may be a separate agreement

• Many countries lack a national framework

Collections Enhancement forms

In the process of developing…

• Long term advisory structure

• Guidance documentation

• Awareness raising/training

Policies and procedures

1. Best practice and international agreements

2. Data management

3. Advice and support

4. External policy engagement

“Recently I discussed this with a member of the XXXXXXX High Commission in London. His advice was to wrap insects in ones underpants in a suitcase and say nothing!”