US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO98

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000098 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR AF/S - TREGER AND OES/ETC - VILLEGAS 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, EAID, SENV, TBIO, MZ 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE RESPONSE: ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES 
AND BENEFIT SHARING 
 
REF: 04 STATE 269625 
 
1. Econ/Poloff contacted Calisto Bias, Director of Plant 
Health, National Institute for Agricultural Research (INIA), 
regarding Mozambique's action on procedures for granting 
research, collection, and export permits for access to 
genetic resources, as requested by reftel. The following is 
based on a written response received from the Mozambican 
government, keyed to questions posed in reftel. 
 
2. Mozambique adheres to the 1997 FAO Commission on Genetic 
Resources and has actively participated in negotiations on 
the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food 
and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). Mozambique has not yet signed the 
ITPGRFA, but, according to INIA, recent developments have 
made Mozambican government more likely to do so. (Note -- no 
further elaboration regarding these developments was 
provided. End note.) 
 
3. Issue A - Legislation and Regulation on Research and 
Collection of Biological Resources: There are no legally 
binding instruments designed specifically to regulate the 
research and collection of biological resources in 
Mozambique. Research proposals related to biological 
resources are authorized by institutional research 
secretariats. The criteria for approval are set out in 
 
SIPDIS 
technical guidelines developed by the relevant institutions. 
On an interim basis, permission for the collection of 
biological resources is granted by the National Plant Genetic 
Resources Committee (NPGRC). This group is a 
multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral committee with a 
national mandate from INIA. An important requirement the 
NPGRC uses to grant permission to conduct research on 
biological or genetic resources is having an assurance that 
the benefits arising from the use of biological resources 
will be shared with the government of Mozambique. This is 
done by a signed bilateral agreement in letter form. The 
administrative system for such an application is not yet 
fully developed. 
 
4. Issue B - Movement of Specimens: Permission to obtain a 
permit to export and import non-CITES biological specimens is 
given by the NPGRC on a case-by-case basis. The regulatory 
regime and administrative system for this procedure are still 
being developed. The movement of biological specimens is 
subject to phyto- or zoo-sanitary requirements determined by 
the importing country. 
 
5. Issue C: - Relevant Laws and Procedures for Negotiating 
Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT): A regulatory regime, based on 
international standards, is still being developed in 
Mozambique for this procedure. 
 
6. Issue D - Status of MAT and Prior Informed Consent (PIC): 
The government of Mozambique is still at an infant stage of 
development for both MAT and PIC. The coordinating effort 
for the development of MAT and PIC regulations and issues is 
being done by the NPGRC. According to INIA, the level of 
awareness on MAT and PIC issues among important stakeholders 
is still not adequate. A regulatory regime and institutional 
arrangement still must be developed. MAT and PIC issues are 
not adequately addressed in Mozambique. 
LALIME