This document discusses regulations and impacts on collections at the Natural History Museum in London regarding accessions in entomology. Key points include: - Collecting specimens must be done according to local and international laws, with the most important consideration being obtaining proper permits and consent. - Under the 1993 Convention on Biological Diversity, the genetic resources and traditional knowledge of indigenous communities belong to the country where they are located. Proper access and benefit-sharing agreements must be negotiated. - The museum must now obtain permits, prior informed consent, and mutually agreed terms before acquiring new material. Staff also manage traditional knowledge as well as specimens according to these guidelines.

1. Dr Erica McAlister
Department of Life
Sciences
Accessions In Entomology –
regulations and impacts on
collections at the Natural History
Museum, London

4. Fieldwork
• Collecting must be down in accordance to local and
international law – most important consideration

6. Access to global Biodiversity
In 1993 this all changed.
Under the Convention on Biological Diversity:
• “States have, in accordance with the Charter of
the United Nations and the principles of
international law, the sovereign right to exploit
their own resources…”
• i.e. biodiversity of a country belongs to that
country, and non-nationals have no rights to it

8. One Objective of the CBD is on ‘Access and
Benefit-sharing’ (ABS):
“the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising
out of the utilization of genetic resources”
• Included in many COP (Conference of the
Parties) Decisions
• Formalised through ‘Bonn Guidelines’ (2002)

9. New material
• Staff obtain permits/ Prior Informed Consent (PIC)
and have determined Mutually Agreed Terms
(MAT)
• Museum can honour agreements made
• Museum can manage Traditional knowledge as
well as specimens

10. Visa’s

12. Permits
• Collecting / Export / Import

14. Traditional Knowledge (TK)
• Knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and Local
Communities (ILCs) related to genetic resources
• PIC of ILCs should be sought whenever TK associated with
genetic resources is to be collected
• Users of genetic resources should negotiate MAT with ILCs to
encourage the equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use
of traditional knowledge
– This may be a separate agreement
• Many countries lack a national framework

15. Collections
Enhanceme
nt forms

16. In the process of developing…
• Long term advisory structure
• Guidance documentation
• Awareness raising/training

17. Policies and procedures
1. Best practice and international agreements
2. Data management
3. Advice and support
4. External policy engagement

18. “Recently I discussed this with a member of the
XXXXXXX High Commission in London. His
advice was to wrap insects in ones underpants in
a suitcase and say nothing!”