Biodiversity-related laws and institutions will be key mechanisms for attaining the objectives of the Convention on biological diversity. As part of the national biodiversty planning process, legal and institutional profiles should be undertaken to ascertain which laws apply to and affect biodiversity and which institutions oversee legislation and portfolios which intersect with biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing of genetic resources. Drawing on lessons learned in Bangladesh, Cuba and the Gambia, this will provide legal practitioners with background information and a suggested analytical road map for reviewing their country's particular legal and institutional situation