The Nagoya Protocol (NP), a legal framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), formalises fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological diversity. It encompasses biological samples and associated indigenous knowledge, with equitable return of benefits to those providing samples. Recent proposals that the use of digital sequence information (DSI) derived from samples should also require benefit-sharing under the NP have raised concerns that this might hamper research progress. Here, we propose that formalised benefit-sharing for biological data use can increase willingness to participate in research and share data, by ensuring equitable collaboration between sample providers and researchers, and preventing exploitative practices. Three case studies demonstrate how equitable benefit-sharing agreements might build long-term collaborations, furthering research for global benefits.

《名古屋议定书》(NP) 是《生物多样性公约》(CBD) 下的法律框架，将公平公正地分享生物多样性带来的惠益正式化。它包括生物样本和相关的土著知识，并公平地向提供样本的人返还利益。最近关于使用来自样本的数字序列信息 (DSI) 也应要求在 NP 下进行利益共享的提议引起了人们的担忧，即这可能会阻碍研究进展。在这里，我们建议，通过确保样本提供者和研究人员之间的公平合作并防止剥削性做法，生物数据使用的正式利益共享可以提高参与研究和共享数据的意愿。