Key Issues for the Relationship between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(2007) , 20 pages
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- Abstract
- While trade in valuable living organisms is an age‐old practice, research on and trade in genetic resources per se is relatively new. In a modern context, there are many overlapping and sometimes conflicting aspects to genetic resources. These include: biotechnology and biosafety, trade, intellectual property rights, conservation of the environment and biodiversity, traditional knowledge, food security and poverty eradication, health, etc. One consequence of this multitude of angles to genetic resources is that their governance falls under the purview of numerous international organizations and instruments. Our focus will be on two such international agreements: the UN Convention on Biological Diversity3 (CBD) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture4 (IT) at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Our aim is to provide an initial exploration of the key issues and concerns regarding the relationship between the two and their governance of genetic resources. The historical context to genetic resources and international efforts to regulate them is key to understanding the relationship between the CBD and the IT. A summary of this history is provided in the annex of this paper. In order to highlight key concerns and identify where further work is needed, this paper uses interviews and discussions with several leading individuals5 as well as articles, doctrine and official documents from relevant institutions to explore the subject. From our research and these interviews, five important issues have emerged. Each of these issues will be examined as follows. First, a short ‘state of the art’ will be summarized; second, we highlight the key issue and the different perspectives on it that we uncovered through our interviews; third, we outline particular questions that will require attention in the future.
- Affiliations
Centre for International Sustainbale Development Law - McGill - Canada
Citations
Frison, C., & Garforth, K. (2007). Key Issues for the Relationship between the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/36713