Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the pledge made at Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022 to establish a new multilateral mechanism, including a global fund, to share benefits derived from the use of genetic resources; and what plans they have to contribute to its development.

The fifteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) established a new multilateral benefit sharing mechanism, including a global fund, to share benefits derived from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources. The details of the mechanism are to be finalised at COP16.

The mechanism presents opportunities for science and business, as well as for the conservation of biodiversity.

The UK is taking a leading role in the negotiations, both as a co-chair of the international process, and as a negotiating Party. We are working closely with the private sector to ensure their views are represented and have commissioned independent research on the impacts of different approaches. We are working closely across the multiple international forums where DSI is being addressed.