Objective of the project

As part of the Cooperation between Morocco and Germany (GIZ), the ACCN program was set up. It aims to implement the national strategy for adapting to climate change, the valorization of biodiversity and the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.

The objective of the programme is the development and implementation, on a pilot basis, of instruments, tools and institutional arrangements for the integrated and sustainable valuation of biodiversity and for the management of climate risks.

Project components

Three components are assigned to this program:

1. Protection and sustainable valorization of ecosystem services taking into account climate risks.
2. Continued development of the regional information, monitoring-evaluation and consultation system for climate change adaptation and biodiversity management.
3. Development of the legal and institutional framework for the mechanism of access to genetic resources and the sharing of benefits arising from their use by taking into account ecosystem services and climate change adaptation in national policy strategies and programmes.

Regarding component 3 of this program, which is related to biodiversity, it aims to develop a national framework on access and sharing the benefits of genetic resources and traditional knowledge as a strategy to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Morocco.

The results of component 3 of the project

• Establishment of a national regulatory framework on ABS:

  • Elaboration of a draft law and its implementing texts on APA in Morocco.

• Capacity building on ABS in Morocco:

  • Organization of a series of training and awareness-raising workshops on ABS in the cities of Guelmim, Agadir, Marrakech, Tangier, Fez and Oujda for the benefit of researchers, NGOs and local elected officials with field visits targeting cooperatives operating in the field of genetic resources;
  • Awareness-raising and training of civil society, and the private sector on the Nagoya Protocol;
  • Organization of capacity building workshops for the National Biodiversity Committee on ABS;
  • Organization of the African regional capacity building workshop on traditional knowledge related to genetic resources, under the Nagoya Protocol, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
  • Dialogue and exchange workshop under the theme: “What role for national researchers in ABS mechanisms and the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol?” ;
  • Dialogue and exchange workshop on the theme: “The Nagoya Protocol - What National Legal Order-APA?” ”;
  • Workshop to set up a Network of Legal Experts from French-speaking Africa on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their uses (APA).

• Studies carried out within the framework of the APA:

  • Economic potential of genetic resources in Morocco within the APA framework;
  • Measures for the protection and valorization of traditional knowledge related to the use of genetic resources in Morocco;
  • Intellectual property law (IPR) related to the use of genetic resources and development of a good practice guide for IPR on ABS in Morocco;
  • Interim National Report on the Nagoya Protocol (link: CH-APA Morocco);
  • Strategy and communication plan on the Nagoya Protocol in Morocco;
  • Pilot census of traditional knowledge related to genetic resources.