India has emerged as the leading country in issuing Internationally Recognised Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) under the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS), accounting for more than half of the certificates issued globally, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) said on Tuesday.
According to the latest data available on the ABS Clearing-House, India has issued 3,561 IRCCs out of a global total of 6,311 — over 56 per cent — placing it well ahead of other countries in implementing the protocol.
Of the 142 countries registered on the ABS Clearing-House platform, only 34 have issued IRCCs so far. France follows India with 964 certificates, while Spain (320), Argentina (257), Panama (156) and Kenya (144) are among the other contributors.
The Nagoya Protocol requires countries granting access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge to issue IRCCs as proof that prior informed consent has been obtained and mutually agreed terms have been established between users and providers. These certificates are then recorded on the ABS Clearing-House, a global platform aimed at ensuring transparency.
Officials said IRCCs play a key role in tracking the use of genetic resources — from research and innovation to commercial application — and ensuring that benefits are shared fairly with the provider country.
India’s performance reflects the implementation of its ABS framework under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The system is administered by the National Biodiversity Authority at the Centre, along with State Biodiversity Boards, Union Territory Biodiversity Councils and local Biodiversity Management Committees.
The ministry attributed the progress to streamlined procedures and institutional mechanisms that have enabled faster processing of applications while ensuring compliance with international obligations.
The development highlights India’s role in global biodiversity governance and its efforts towards equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological resources, in line with international conservation and sustainability goals.
