Parliament postpones endorsement of international protocol on genetic resources

Khartoum-The draft law on joining the The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity has raised heated debate between the deputies of Parliament on Wednesday. The differences over whether to join the protocol or not led to postponement of the discussion to the next sessions after thorough study and scrutiny. The law gives the signatory joint parliamentary committees the right to register their inherited genetics a matter that enables them to legally pursue any country that violates its inherited genetic rights. e

In his first parliamentary appearance, Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie led the group that rejects the ratification of the law before studying it by scientists in field of inherited genetics, saying that the protocol is one of the things that need study by specialists in genetics. He said “if the council of ministers did not study the protocol, we will send it back to it immediately”.

On his part, deputy Ibrahim Ahmed Omer said that due to unjust decisions, Sudan is banned from importing scientific research materials, and that this protocol allows scientists to take the origins and analyze them. He warned against consequences of endorsing it before conducting a study on it. He added’ we will sign it when we lift injustices from Sudan” according to

In the same context, the ecologist Hassan Abdelgadir Hilal has warned against the delay in endorsing the protocol. He said that what they are talking about is rights not genetics trade. He revealed that some commodities and animals have been stolen, planted and hybridize such as the hibiscus and sheep. “If we did not sign this protocol, we will not be able to sue these countries, and we will not find any support” he added.

Arabic Forum