The Convention on Biological Diversity developed a framework in 1992 recognising the sovereignty of nation-states over their biological and genetic resources, and the authority of national governments to determine access to these resources subject to national legislation. Over 189 countries signed the Convention, which encouraged countries to access these resources and take up measures to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from their use, a process called ‘access and benefit sharing’ or ‘ABS’. To facilitate the ABS processes in the Himalayan region, ICIMOD, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), entered into a project to raise awareness on ABS. This Glossary is part of ICIMOD’s contribution to facilitating the ABS process. Many of the definitions are still being debated. The Glossary was written for stakeholders engaged in the development and interpretation of an ABS regime, including policy makers and others, particularly stakeholders without easy access to this kind of information.