Article 26. Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to this Protocol

Abstract

This Article 26 of the Nagoya Protocol discusses the basic rules for the functioning of the Conference of the Parties (COP)/Meeting of the Parties (MOP), and its relationship with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP. The Protocol's governing body comprises representatives of all States that are Party to the Nagoya Protocol. It meets on a periodic basis. Article 26 thus details, in a self-explanatory manner, who is entitled to participate in the COP/MOP meetings, its bureau, the COP/MOP functions, the rules of procedure, and meetings arrangements. Article 26, similarly to the Biosafety Protocol, clarifies the relationship between the Protocol's governing body and the CBD COP. Since the Nagoya Protocol is a separate legal instrument, the functions of the COP/MOP differ to some extent from those of the CBD COP, and the membership of the two bodies is not necessarily the same.Keywords: Conference of the Parties (COP); Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Meeting of the Parties (MOP); Nagoya Protocol; Protocol's governing body