Rwanda became the third country in the world, after Angola and Jordan, to ratify the Nagoya Protocol that seek to equitably distribute amongst member states benefits arising from the proper conservation of environment resources.The protocol was adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its tenth meeting on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. Amongst other roles, the protocol seeks to regulate the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of environment resources."The protocol is paramount for our country because it sets ground rules to regulate access, ensure compliance and unlock benefit sharing from the utilisation of our genetic resources,” a statement from the office of Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), said yesterday."The Protocol opens doors for the creation of partnerships which will significantly contribute to sustainable use of our biological resources hence leading to economic development and poverty reduction.”According to Earth Trends 2003 statistics, Rwanda protects 2,634,000 hectares of land identified to be rich in biodiversity, including wetlands, game reserves and seascapes. By 2002, Rwanda protected nine threatened species.By ratifying the Nagoya Protocol, Rwanda is set to also access relevant technologies as well as funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for the sustainable use of its biodiversity resources."Like other developing countries around the world, once the Protocol enters into force, Rwanda will be in a position to benefit meaningfully from its biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, which have been exploited over the years without real return,” Mukankomeje added.Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said: "The Nagoya Protocol has the potential to unlock the full value of the genetic resources of our world. The benefits to be realised and then shared with equity are considerable. I urge other parties to the Convention to take the steps to ratify as soon as possible.”Although other countries have not yet officially ratified, there are 92 signatories to the protocol.