Gears: With the Nagoya Protocol, “contributing to the preservation of biodiversity”
Océane Trevennec works at Dipa. Together with Agnès Mignot, Vice President in charge of simplifying research and monitoring national programs, they form the APA unit. This month, as part of the video series " Rouages ," whose new season is devoted to research professions, they explain their missions to raise awareness and provide training on compliance with the Nagoya Protocol. Action!
"The Nagoya Protocol is an international regulation that France has ratified, meaning it has agreed to implement it, both for Professors go abroad and those who work in France, " begins Agnès Mignot, Vice President for Research Simplification and National Program Monitoring. The aim of this protocol is to preserve biodiversity and minimize biopiracy."
These clarifications are essential because this regulation requires researchers and research support services to take certain steps before going into the field. "It is now essential to obtain the agreement of the country that owns the resource you want to work on and to reach an agreement with that country on the sharing of benefits that may arise from the use of that resource," continues the vice president, who is also a researcher atthe Institute of Evolutionary Sciences.
The APA unit
To support researchers in this process, the university has an APA unit for: access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use. This unit includes the Vice President for Research Simplification, as well as Océane Trevennec, an agronomist by training, and Joanna Boulon-Bertrand, who are attached to the Department of Innovation and Partnerships (DIPA) and the Department of Research and Doctoral Studies (DRED), respectively.
"To implement our actions, we have set up a whole network of people who are points of contact for each research unit and who act as relays for us, both to raise awareness among research teams and to support them in administrative procedures,"explains Océane Trevennec. These representatives include lecturers and Professors, administrative staff, and directors and deputy directors of units.
The missions
This APA unit has several missions. "The first is to monitor legal developments at the international, European, and national levels, in conjunction with the various ministries," continues Océane Trevennec. " The second involves setting up a support procedure for research teams, which includes awareness-raising, training, and the implementation of tools. The third is to coordinate and liaise with the APA units of other research organizations."
To ensure these missions are carried out, an inter-institutional committee meets three times a year. Training has also been provided to designated representatives in research units and extended to all staff members who wish to learn about the protocol. "We have also offered doctoral schools training for PhD students and doctoral researchers so that they are as aware as possible of these regulations in their research," adds Océane Trevennec.
The difficulties
The APA unit takes on added importance when one understands the difficulties that can arise in applying these regulations. "Many countries have regulations that are not yet in force or operational. This can sometimes make it difficult to obtain all the necessary authorizations for research projects."
Indeed, the requirements of the Nagoya Protocol can sometimes clash with the reality on the ground. "A researcher setting out on a project cannot predict with 100% certainty the exact day they will go out to collect samples, nor do they know exactly how many samples they will bring back," explains Agnès Mignot. Research is also a matter of opportunity. " These difficulties remain surmountable in view of the ethical challenge of this protocol, namely "contributing to the preservation of biodiversity."