Abstract
The Nagoya Protocol (NP), a legal framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), formalises fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological diversity. It encompasses biological samples and associated indigenous knowledge, with equitable return of benefits to those providing samples. Recent proposals that the use of digital sequence information (DSI) derived from samples should also require benefit-sharing under the NP have raised concerns that this might hamper research progress. Here, we propose that formalised benefit-sharing for biological data use can increase willingness to participate in research and share data, by ensuring equitable collaboration between sample providers and researchers, and preventing exploitative practices. Three case studies demonstrate how equitable benefit-sharing agreements might build long-term collaborations, furthering research for global benefits.
The volume and type of digital sequence data are rapidly growing, driven by the ongoing development of new technologies to generate ‘omics data.Historical and ongoing exploitative practices, as well as biopiracy, mean trust relationships cannot be relied on for equitable sharing from low- to high-resourced stakeholders.Detractors of benefit sharing for digital sequence information (DSI) often promulgate the perspective of those who have historically benefitted from inequitable practices.Extending the Nagoya Protocol (NP) to include all DSI could ensure that all stakeholders agree with the terms of data sharing, which does not preclude Open Research where acceptable to all parties.Extending the NP to include all digital biological data could facilitate research and resource sharing by implementing and enforcing equitable benefit sharing.