Indonesia has officially become a Nagoya Protocol partner country after signing the protocol at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 11, 2011.New York (ANTARA News) - Indonesia will make every effort to ratify the Nagoya Protocol as soon as possible, Indonesian Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta told Antara here over the weekend.
Indonesia has officially become a Nagoya Protocol partner country after signing the protocol at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 11, 2011.
Marking a milestone in the history of the application of the biodiversity convention, Indonesia along with Guatemala, India, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland and Tunisia signed the Nagoya Protocol at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The signing ceremony took place during the ministerial segment of the 19th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-19) at the General Assembly Hall at the UN Headquarters in New York.
"We are grateful that we have signed the Nagoya Protocol and will soon ratify it because without ratification it will not run as expected," Muhammad Hatta said.
The protocol sets terms on how countries will permit access to genetic resources, share the benefits arising from their use, and cooperate with one another in allegations of misuse.
To serve as an important instrument to optimize the use of genetic resources and to put a halt to bio-piracy, the protocol will come into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 50 parties.
Indonesia is known as the world`s second mega biodiversity country.
Speaking on behalf of ASEAN member states on the occasion, Muhammad Hatta underscored the importance of the meeting to influence the outcome of UNCSD 2012 (Rio+20) in Brazil.
He also stressed the importance of applying the concept of green economy in support of sustainable development.
"With the Nagoya Protocol, biodiversity will serve as the backbone of sustainable development through the concept of green economy. Debates on the contradiction between the environment and economy will be over," he said.
He said that after signing the protocol, Indonesia was expected to ratify it by enacting law in line with the effort to speed up the passage of genetic resource management bill into law.
The law is expected to strengthen the national legislation in the use of genetic resources for the benefit of the people particularly those having traditional wisdom and knowledge in managing genetic resources.
Since the signing of the protocol was opened on February 2, 2011, thirteen countries: Colombia, Yemen, Algeria, Brazil, Mexico, Rwanda, Ecuador, Republic of Central Africa, Seychelles, Mali, Sudan, Panama and Peru have already signed it.
The next signing by the countries to join as the partners of Nagoya Protocol will be made on September 20, 2011 on the sidelines of the 66th UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
(O001/A/HAJM/15:10/f001)
(ANTARA)
Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
