Disclosure of Origin at the CBD, WIPO and the WTO: Conflict, Coherence or Complementarity

Read South FACE from the Event at: http://www.southcentre.org/southface/South_Face_IAKP-CBD-Jan-2008.pdf

South Centre organizing a panel event on "Disclosure of Origin at the CBD, WIPO and the WTO: Conflict, Coherence or Complementarity" jointly with CIEL on 24 January.

The Event was held at: Palais des Nations, Room No. XXII (Building E), from 13h15 – 14h45

This event held in parallel to the Sixth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (ABS 6) being held in Geneva from 21-25 January is of importance as the issue of misappropriation and biopiracy has received significant attention in recent years and efforts are currently underway at various international forums to find possible solutions.

The current patent system, as governed by international common binding norms has been seen as the primary enabling mechanism for biopiracy, a viewpoint that has triggered an intense global debate. Biodiversity rich countries (many in the Global South), as well as indigenous and other local communities have long faced constant socio-economic pressure due to an intellectual property system that allows exclusive private appropriation of genetic resources without fair and equitable sharing of the benefits accruing from such use. Many argue that disclosure of origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge will allow countries to formulate a basis for determining issues of benefit sharing and access to genetic resources.

The panel will discuss the different approaches to the disclosure of origin issue at the WTO, WIPO and the CBD and examine areas of overlap, potential areas
of conflict and the future of disclosure of origin provisions in the three fora.

More information at: http://www.southcentre.org/Events/2008/Jan_SC_CIEL_Joint_Side_Event.pdf