Summary
International, regional and national policies increasingly recognise the rights of traditional knowledge holders and the importance of measures to address biopiracy concerns. However, after almost 30 years of exploring benefit sharing from traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, few benefits as conceived under the Convention on Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol have resulted for indigenous and local communities.
While there are many contributing factors, this webinar focuses on one: the challenges of identifying the attribution or origin of traditional knowledge, including the question of who has “priority” over others for any benefits that are shared.
The complexity and attention that these issues require is not easily dealt with at a policy level. It requires comprehensive social research, savvy policy-makers, and considerable political maneuvering. The answers are not always appetizing and do not have mass political appeal. Nor do they have easily implementable solutions. This webinar provides a platform to discuss these issues and identify alternative approaches for equity and social justice.
We invite you to download the The Challenge of Attribution and Origin: Traditional Knowledge and Access and Benefit Sharing policy brief and to watch the Voices for BioJustice video series on the topic, in which we explore these issues in more depth with a range of individuals.
Overview video introducing the topics covered in the webinar.