Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs)
Context:
India has recently emerged as the undisputed global leader in issuing Internationally Recognized Certificates of Compliance (IRCCs) under the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS).
According to the latest data on the ABS Clearing-House, India has issued 3,561 IRCCs out of a global total of 6,311, accounting for over 56% of all certificates worldwide.
Out of the 142 countries registered on the platform, only 34 have successfully issued these certificates, with India distantly followed by France, Spain, Argentina, Panama, and Kenya.
The Nagoya Protocol and the ABS Clearing-House:
The Nagoya Protocol is a landmark international agreement governing the access and use of genetic resources—derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms—as well as the traditional knowledge associated with them.
It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
The Clearing-House:
To facilitate this process, the protocol utilizes the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) Clearing-House, functioning as a central, standardized online platform.
It enables the exchange of critical information regarding domestic procedures for access permits.
Parties to the protocol are mandated to upload specific information to this platform, including their legislative measures on ABS and details of their national focal points.
Understanding IRCCs:
When a competent national authority grants an access permit for genetic resources and submits a copy to the ABS Clearing-House, that specific permit officially constitutes an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance (IRCC).
These certificates serve as definitive, official evidence that two mandatory conditions have been met:
Prior Informed Consent (PIC) has been legally obtained
Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT) have been established between resource users and providers.
Crucially, IRCCs track how genetic resources are used across the entire value chain—from early-stage research and innovation to eventual commercialization—guaranteeing that benefits flow back fairly to the provider country.
India's Institutional Mechanism:
India's dominance in issuing IRCCs reflects the highly effective implementation of its domestic ABS framework under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
This success is driven by a strong, decentralized three-tier system:
The National Biodiversity Authority at the apex
State Biodiversity Boards (or UT Councils) at the regional level
Biodiversity Management Committees at the grassroots local level.