communities over their traditional forest-related knowledge and their right to benefit from the utilisation of this knowledge. 2. State Parties, in consultation with local people and communities: a. may record, preserve and protect traditional forest-related knowledge, provide for the equitable sharing of any benefits arising from the utilisation of this knowledge among those who hold it; b. shall, where appropriate, develop standards, guidelines and other mechanisms in this regard. ARTICLE 17: FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES 1. State Parties shall adopt national policies and implement mechanisms to ensure that access to the forest genetic resources is subject to prior informed consent and mutually agreed terms and that there is an equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of these resources. 2. State Parties shall develop a regional approach and harmonised national legislation regulating access to, and the management, development and use of forest genetic resources as well as for the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from those resources shared by more than one State Party. 3. Where any State Party is asserting a right under this Article against any third party, other State Parties shall support the assertion of such rights. 4. State Parties shall share germplasm from plant genetic resources, upon mutually agreed terms. 5. State Parties shall, for the purposes of preservation of germplasm of forest species, cooperate to further develop the forest germplasm collection in the SADC Plant Genetic Resource Centre. ARTICLE 18: INDUSTRY, TRADE AND INVESTMENT 1. State Parties which have substantial forest-based industries within their territories, shall: a. encourage and promote the establishment of regional, and where necessary, national and sub-national timber associations within the forestry sector that can play a role in achieving the objectives of this Protocol, including the development of voluntary codes of conduct, and networking for the purposes of sharing trade information; b. encourage the participation of traditional, community and privatesector operators in the forestry sector in national and regional processes for the development of markets for, and trade in the products from sustainably managed forests, including, if determined to be appropriate, the development and promotion of specific voluntary certification standards and guidelines; c. adopt national measures and support regional initiatives to promote investment in sustainable forest management; d. support the expansion of sustainable markets and sustainable trade in forest products throughout the Region; e. adopt measures for the protection of the environment and the prevention or minimisation of environmental damage from harvesting and processing of timber and other forest products; f. ensure that the needs of workers in forest harvesting and processing are properly addressed in national legislation regarding their protection, safety, and health; and g. ensure that forest-based industries contribute to the well-being of surrounding communities. 2. State Parties shall, acting collectively and in co-ordination with any regional programmes dealing with standards, quality assurance, accreditation and