Overview
JUSCANZ (also JUSCANNZ) is the informal coordination group of developed, non-EU countries, comprising Japan, the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand, with the United Kingdom coordinating closely. Speaking through Switzerland at the Open-ended Working Group, it supported open-access public DSI databases, opposed any track-and-trace requirement, insisted on keeping text on multiple payments and on the mechanism’s interaction with other ABS obligations, and backed voluntary contributions. The United States, which is not a Party, has said it will take no measures to support the Fund. At SBI-7, Japan, Switzerland and Norway joined the EU in seeking to delete language on the MoU being concluded before COP17, while Australia objected to new MoU text introduced late in the process and warned of the message it would send to businesses.
Goals
- Keep contributions voluntary and preserve open access to DSI
- Prevent track-and-trace requirements and duplicate benefit-sharing obligations
- Finalise modalities rather than reopen governance arrangements or the MoU