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<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2>Hallo Miteinander - hier der
aktuelle Zusammenschnitt der Brücken, glück auf - martin</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>BRIDGES
Trade BioRes, Vol. 3 No. 16 19 September,
2003<BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><BR>I. CANCUN MINISTERIAL MEETING<BR> - World Trade Talks
Collapse In Cancun<BR><BR>II. WORLD PARKS CONGRESS<BR> - Reconciling
Protected Areas and Sustainable Livelihoods<BR><BR>IV. IN BRIEF<BR>
- Biosafety Protocol To Enter Into Force<BR> - Farmer's Rights
Network Launched In Cancun<BR><BR>VI. EVENTS &
RESOURCES<BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>Cancun
Ministerial
Meeting<BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>WORLD
TRADE TALKS COLLAPSE IN CANCUN<BR><BR>The WTO Ministerial Conference, held from
10-14 September in Cancun,<BR>Mexico, ended abruptly and early on Sunday without
consensus on any of<BR>the items on its agenda and in bitter divisions over the
launch of<BR>negotiations on the so-called Singapore issues (i.e.
investment,<BR>competition, trade facilitation and government procurement) and
over<BR>agriculture. Whereas most Members regretted the trade talks'
collapse,<BR>many civil society groups were pleased with the breakdown and
applauded<BR>the new negotiating strength of developing countries, which had
grouped<BR>together in before unseen coalitions. Many observers have
speculated<BR>that the collapse of the trade talks will likely result in a
renewed<BR>effort to liberalise trade at the bilateral and regional
levels.<BR><BR><BR>The negotiations in a nutshell<BR><BR>To facilitate talks,
five Working Groups were formed on agriculture,<BR>non-agricultural market
access, development, Singapore issues and<BR>miscellaneous issues (including
environment). Moreover, WTO<BR>Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi
facilitated negotiations on the<BR>cotton initiative, put forward by four West
and Central African (WCA)<BR>countries in an effort to address rich country
cotton subsidies --<BR>particularly in the US -- that distort prices and
threaten livelihoods<BR>in the region. Following bilateral consultations and
Working Group<BR>discussions, Conference Chair Luis Ernesto Derbez (Mexico)
issued a<BR>revised draft Ministerial Text on 13 September.<BR><BR>Members were
clearly unhappy with the revised draft Ministerial Text,<BR>with agriculture and
the Singapore issues emerging as the most<BR>contentious areas. The language on
cotton, which closely reflects the US<BR>approach, evoked outrage among the WCA
countries as well as their<BR>sympathisers. "We are used to hardship, disease
and famine," said a<BR>representative of the cotton industry. "Now the WTO is
against us as<BR>well. I think this will stay in history - the mountain did not
give<BR>birth to a mouse, it gave birth to an ant".<BR><BR>The final round of
negotiations on 14 September began with discussions<BR>on the Singapore issues,
which Chair Derbez had identified as the most<BR>contentious area. In the end,
the EC -- the main demandeur on the<BR>Singapore issues -- signalled its
willingness to take investment and<BR>competition out of the Doha Round and the
WTO, leaving trade<BR>facilitation and transparency in government procurement
for launch at<BR>Cancun. This proposal, however, was rejected by the African
countries,<BR>which demanded further clarification before launching any
negotiations,<BR>as well as Korea and Japan, which called for negotiations on
all four<BR>issues. Given the deep divisions among Members, Chair Derbez decided
to<BR>close the meeting.<BR><BR>The only outcome of the Cancun meeting is a
brief Ministerial Statement<BR>in which Members agree to convene a General
Council meeting at the<BR>Senior Officials level by 15 December and until then
carry on with the<BR>negotiations. The Statement notes that "in those areas
where [Members]<BR>have reached a high level of convergence on texts, [they]
undertake to<BR>maintain this convergence while working for an acceptable
overall<BR>outcome". It is thus unclear what will happen to those areas where
no<BR>"high level of convergence" could be reached. It was also left open
on<BR>which version of the draft Ministerial Text Members would base
Geneva<BR>negotiations.<BR><BR><BR>Governments disappointed, question Chair's
decision<BR><BR>A number of observers expressed surprise that Derbez had decided
to<BR>address Singapore issues before agriculture, when many
(mostly<BR>developing) countries earlier in the negotiations had insisted
that<BR>progress on the Singapore issues would be contingent on movement
in<BR>agriculture. Some African delegates also wondered why this
EC-driven<BR>agenda should be the "make or break" issue, rather than their
own<BR>priorities. Moreover, some Members questioned the Chair's decision
to<BR>pull the plug on the talks at a point where no part of the draft
Text<BR>except the Singapore issues had been discussed in the
final<BR>negotiations. Patricia Hewitt, UK Secretary of State for Trade
and<BR>Industry, stated that Derbez's decision was "utterly unexpected"
and<BR>"premature". "There was a deal to be had," she said, indicating that
the<BR>Europeans had been ready to negotiate.<BR><BR>European Trade Commissioner
Pascal Lamy left no doubts about his view<BR>that "Cancun has failed".
Describing the WTO as a "medieval<BR>organisation", Lamy blamed the failure on
the organisation's procedures<BR>and rules, which he said were not able to
support the weight of the<BR>tasks. Regarding future negotiations he stressed
that the offers made in<BR>Cancun would remain on the table. US Trade
Representative Robert<BR>Zoellick also expressed deep disappointment with the
outcome and<BR>emphasised that the US would aggressively pursue bilateral and
regional<BR>trade agreements in the absence of multilateral movement forward,
in<BR>particular the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), where
the<BR>failure of the Cancun talks could severely complicate negotiations
at<BR>the November FTAA Ministerial.<BR><BR>Although regretting the failure, the
G-22 -- a group of developing<BR>countries, led by Brazil, China and India, that
had formed just prior to<BR>the Cancun meeting to pursue a common position on
agriculture -- were<BR>pleased that their group had solidified through the
negotiations and had<BR>shown that it was a serious and professional party in
the agriculture<BR>talks. The ACP/LDC/AU -- an alliance of African, Caribbean
and Pacific<BR>countries -- expressed disappointment that in the end
negotiations never<BR>got to deal with its priority issues, i.e. agriculture,
non-agricultural<BR>market access, special and differential treatment, and of
course cotton.<BR>Speaking strictly in his personal capacity, the LDC Group's
spokesperson<BR>Bangladeshi Trade Minister Amir Chowdhury said that he thought
the<BR>alliance could have had more flexibility on the Singapore issues if
more<BR>had been offered for cotton.<BR><BR><BR>Civil society groups welcome
collapse of talks<BR><BR>Many development and environmental civil society groups
applauded the<BR>breakdown of the Cancun negotiations. Most NGOs, including
Action Aid,<BR>Oxfam, Greenpeace, WWF and Third World Network blamed the EC and
the US<BR>of wrecking the trade talks by only looking after their own
interests<BR>without taking developing countries seriously. They applauded
developing<BR>countries for holding out against Northern interests. "It is clear
that<BR>we are seeing a shift in the power dynamic at the WTO," said
Mark<BR>Ritchie of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. "No
longer<BR>are developing countries going to roll over for the US and EU
--<BR>particularly on issues of vital importance to them." WWF also called
on<BR>governments to now focus on slimming the WTO agenda and dealing
with<BR>sustainable development issues in forums outside the
WTO.<BR><BR><BR>Environment issues in the draft<BR><BR>Although it remains
unclear whether negotiations will continue on the<BR>basis of the revised draft
Text released in Cancun, a number of<BR>environment-related provisions in the
draft are worth bearing in mind<BR>for future discussions. Notably, the draft
Text addresses<BR>observership/'invitee' issue for the Committee on Trade and
Environment<BR>special sessions -- one of the EC's key demands (see BRIDGES
Trade<BR>BioRes, 5<BR>September 2003, </FONT><A
href="http://www.ictsd.org/biores/03-09-05/story1.htm"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.ictsd.org/biores/03-09-05/story1.htm</FONT></A><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>).<BR>Specially,<BR>Members would agree to invite
Secretariats of multilateral environmental<BR>agreements (MEA), UNEP and UNCTAD
to the special sessions for the<BR>duration<BR>of the negotiations. These
invitations would be extended "in accordance<BR>with<BR>[the CTE's] current
practice", under which observers have been confined<BR>to<BR>responding to
questions raised by Members and have only been allowed to<BR>be<BR>present
during discussions on Doha para. 31(i) on the
WTO-MEA<BR>relationship.<BR><BR>Moreover, the draft includes references to
environmental goods in the<BR>Annex dealing with non-agricultural market access
(NAMA), encouraging<BR>the NAMA Negotiating Group to work closely with the
Committee on Trade<BR>and Environment special session "with a view to addressing
the issue of<BR>non-agricultural environmental goods covered in paragraph
31(iii) of the<BR>Doha Ministerial Declaration". This formulation opens the
possibility<BR>that organic agricultural products might be included in
the<BR>yet-to-be-finalised definition of environmental goods -- as suggested
by<BR>Kenya.<BR><BR>Following a proposal by India, the revised draft includes
text on Doha<BR>paragraph 19, which deals with issues related to the review of
Article<BR>27.3(b) on patentability of life, biodiversity and
traditional<BR>knowledge. The draft simply instructs the Council for
Trade-related<BR>Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) to continue its
work and<BR>requests the General Council to report to the next session of
the<BR>Ministerial meeting. This raises the question of whether paragraph 19
--<BR>which includes implementation issues related to, inter alia,
the<BR>TRIPs-CBD relationship and the protection of traditional knowledge
--<BR>would be de-linked from the other implementation issues and the
mandate<BR>in Cancun paragraph 13, which instructs the General Council to
"review<BR>progress and take any appropriate action" by an as yet unspecified
date.<BR><BR>For a detailed account of the negotiations in Cancun and relevant
WTO<BR>documents, see http://www.ictsd.org/ministerial/index.htm.<BR><BR>ICTSD
reporting; "WTO breakdown should be a wake-up call for real<BR>reform," IATP, 14
September
2003.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>World
Parks
Congress<BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR>RECONCILING
PROTECTED AREAS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS<BR><BR>>From 8 to 17 September,
IUCN - The World Conservation Union convened the<BR>fifth World Parks Congress
(WPC), a once in a decade event focusing on<BR>the state and the future of the
world's Protected Areas. The meeting was<BR>held in Durban, South Africa under
the overall theme of "Benefits Beyond<BR>Boundaries". The outcomes of the WPC
thus also focus on how to ensure<BR>that the benefits of protected areas are
conserved and shared in an<BR>equal manner -- an issue which many say has been
ignored for too long.<BR><BR><BR>The future of protected areas<BR><BR>During the
ten-day meeting, scientists, conservationists, civil<BR>servants, business
leaders, resource managers and environment ministers<BR>got together to
establish a common agenda for protected areas. They<BR>published recommendations
and guidelines, which although non-binding<BR>provide guidelines for
governments. Tacking stock since the last WPC<BR>held in Venezuela in 1992,
participants were pleased to announce that<BR>they had surpassed the target to
devote 10 percent of the earth's<BR>surface to protected areas by 2 percent. At
the same time several<BR>countries and civil society organisations took the
opportunity to<BR>announce newly established protected areas and pledge new
funds for the<BR>development of protected areas. In particular participants
stressed the<BR>need to establish more marine and coastal protected areas,
pointing to<BR>the bad state of world's fisheries and marine resources due
to<BR>overfishing, fisheries subsidies, illegal fishing and bad
management<BR>practices. The official outcomes of the meeting are the Durban
Accord<BR>and Action Plan, which sets the conservation agenda for the next
ten<BR>years, as well as a message to the Convention on Biological
Diversity<BR>(CBD) proposing actions under the CBD to support the outcomes of
the<BR>WPC.<BR><BR><BR>Benefits for indigenous peoples and a message to the
CBD<BR><BR>The Durban Accord, as the main output of the WPC, highlights that
a<BR>rapidly changing world has resulted in an increasing loss of
biological<BR>and cultural diversity and stresses the important role protected
areas<BR>play in halting this loss as well as in achieving broader
development<BR>goals. Furthermore the Accord stresses the importance of the
wisdom and<BR>knowledge held by various cultures enabling the sustainable use
and<BR>conservation of biodiversity, and acknowledges that protected areas
are<BR>important providers of ecosystem goods and services. Reflecting
the<BR>overall theme of benefits beyond boundaries and the large
participation<BR>of indigenous groups and peoples in the WPC, participants
stressed that<BR>while many costs of protected areas are borne locally --
particularly by<BR>poor communities -- benefits accrue globally and
remain<BR>under-appreciated and are not shared with local communities.<BR><BR>As
a message to the World Trade Organization, the meeting also calls
for<BR>commitment and action on ensuring that globalisation and
trade<BR>agreements do not hinder the capacity of protected areas to
achieve<BR>their core aims, and that benefits are shared with indigenous
peoples<BR>and local communities. Furthermore participants urge commitment to
the<BR>economic valuation of protected areas and innovative and
diversified<BR>income generating strategies. They also highlight the need to
provide<BR>the stewards of ecosystem goods and services with payments. With
regard<BR>to the bad state of world fisheries the WPC also calls on governments
to<BR>redirect perverse subsidies toward support mechanisms for
protected<BR>areas.<BR><BR>Participants also endorsed a message to the CBD, in
which they point to<BR>the critical role of biodiversity for sustainable
development<BR>strategies. Moreover, they note that the current loss of
biodiversity<BR>due to human activities must be reversed, which can only be done
if the<BR>conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the
fair<BR>and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of
genetic<BR>resources was ensured. Among others the Congress calls on the CBD
to<BR>ensure that mechanisms are put in place to guarantee that indigenous
and<BR>mobile peoples, local communities, women and youth, share the
benefits<BR>arising from protected areas. They also requested the CBD to
create<BR>well-managed systems, which enable the broad participation
of<BR>stakeholders in the development and management of protected
areas.<BR><BR><BR>A global commitment to sustainable
livelihoods?<BR><BR>Traditionally, conservation efforts, the establishment of
protected<BR>areas and the pursuit of sustainable livelihoods by indigenous
peoples<BR>have not always been mutually supportive. However this paradigm
might<BR>have changed with this World Parks Congress, which saw a high and
active<BR>participation of a diverse range of indigenous groups celebrating
their<BR>role in the sustainable use and management of biodiversity and
protected<BR>areas. This is further highlighted by the outcomes of the
Durban<BR>meeting, which place the role and the rights of people in developing
and<BR>managing protected areas at the centre stage. As South
African<BR>Environmental Affairs Minister Valli Moosa pointed out during
the<BR>closing plenary, "we have established a link very firmly
between<BR>ecosystems and communities. It's a new paradigm and there is no
going<BR>back from here". He furthermore highlighted that the Congress
had<BR>identified how protected areas could be used as a tool in
poverty<BR>alleviation efforts. Kenton Millor, Chair of the IUCNs World
Commission<BR>on Protected Areas also emphasised that "Today’s agenda recognises
the<BR>benefits [of Protected Areas] and ensures that they are
equitably<BR>shared. In 2013 we will be able to look back and hopefully be proud
of<BR>our new achievements".<BR><BR>The outcomes of the Fifth World Parks
Congress are available at:<BR>http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc2003/index.htm.
For daily reporting,<BR>see IISD Linkages at
http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/sd/worldparksV/.<BR><BR>"Protected Areas Blossom at
World Parks Congress," ENS, 18 September<BR>2003; "Parks Congress Sets 10-Year
Plan to Protect Planet," ENS, 18<BR>September
2003.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>In
Brief<BR>------------------------------------------------------------------------<BR><BR><BR>BIOSAFETY
PROTOCOL ENTERS INTO FORCE<BR><BR>On September 11, the Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety, established under<BR>the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
entered into force. Based<BR>on a precautionary approach, the Protocol regulates
the transboundary<BR>movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) that may have
adverse<BR>effects on biodiversity and human health. It establishes an
advance<BR>informed agreement procedure for import of LMOs for
environmental<BR>release, as well as a Biosafety Clearinghouse
(http://bch.biodiv.org),<BR>which will be used by Parties to exchange
information. European<BR>Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström described the
Protocol as a<BR>"fundamental step towards better global governance" in the area
of<BR>biotechnology. "If we want to promote free trade on a global scale
we<BR>must also ensure that protecting the environment and human health
is<BR>taken into account by finding multilateral solutions for
global<BR>problems," she added. The first meeting of the Parties to the
Protocol<BR>is scheduled for 23-27 February 2004 in Malaysia, back-to-back
with<BR>COP-7 of the CBD. Parties will need to address a number of
trade-related<BR>issues that remained unresolved during the Protocol's
negotiation,<BR>including requirements for identifying shipments of LMO
commodities and<BR>standards for identification, handling, packaging and
transport<BR>practices (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 2 May
2002,<BR>http://www.ictsd.org/biores/02-05-02/story3.htm).<BR><BR>103 Parties
have signed and 57 have ratified the Cartagena Protocol. A<BR>number of major
exporting countries of genetically modified crops have<BR>not ratified the
Protocol, including the US, Canada, Argentina and<BR>Australia.<BR><BR>"Better
Biosafe than Sorry," GRIST MAGAZINE, 11 September 2003; "Safe<BR>Management of
GMOs: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Becomes Law,"<BR>EU, 11 September
2003; "Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety takes effect"<BR>CBD, 11 September
2003.</FONT><BR></DIV></FONT><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2>
<DIV><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>FARMER'S RIGHTS NETWORK LAUNCHED IN
CANCUN<BR><BR>On the sidelines of the WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun,
like-minded<BR>international civil society organisations from Asia, Africa,
Latin<BR>America, Europe and North America formed the Farmers' Rights
Advocacy<BR>Network (FRANK). The Network will be used as a tool to launch
effective<BR>advocacy programmes across the globe and put pressure on
agencies<BR>concerned with farmers rights. The Secretariat will be housed at
the<BR>South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE)
in<BR>Kathmandu, Nepal. For further information, contact Kamalesh
Adhikari,<BR>SAWTEE, at kamaleshad@hotmail.com.<BR><BR>"International Network
Formed to Protect Farmers’ Rights," SAWTEE PRESS<BR>RELEASE, 11 September
2003.</FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>21-23 September, Porquerolles, France: THE PORT CROS SYMPOSIUM
ON<BR>SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND BIODIVERSITY. This workshop is organized
by<BR>IUCN- the World Conservation Union, TotalFinaElf and the French
Research<BR>Institute for Exploitation of the Sea. It aims to produce guidelines
for<BR>an ecosystem approach to fisheries for the Mediterranean Sea.
For<BR>further information, contact: Claudiane Chevalier; tel:
(34-9)<BR>5202-8430; fax: 5202-8145; email:
claudiane.chevalier@iucn.org;<BR>Internet:
http://iucn.org/places/medoffice/eventos/port_cros.htm<BR><BR>25-30 September,
Terre Rouge, Mauritius: GLOBAL SUMMIT ON MEDICINAL<BR>PLANTS. Hosted by the
Century Foundation, this conference will consider<BR>"Recent Trends in
Cultivation, Conservation, Phytomedicine and Other<BR>Alternative Therapies for
Human Welfare." For further information,<BR>contact: Anita Menon; tel: (91-80)
524-9900; fax: 524-4592; email:<BR>cenfound@sparrl.com;
Internet:<BR>http://www.cenfound.org/global/global.html<BR><BR>29-30 September,
Mexico City, Mexico: GENE FLOW: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR<BR>BIODIVERSITY AND
CENTERS OF ORIGIN. The conference, which is organised<BR>by the Pew Initiative
on Food and Biotechnology (PIFB) and the<BR>U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science
(FUMEC), will deal with scientific,<BR>cultural, ethical, and economic questions
concerning the genetic<BR>diversity of maize, a species native to Mexico, and
the introduction of<BR>genetically modified (GM) plants to centres of origin.
The conference<BR>will be attended by experts from science, industry,
government,<BR>academia, and the media. For further information, contact:
Pew<BR>Initiative on Food and Biotechnology;
Internet:<BR>http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0929/<BR><BR><BR>16 October, Based,
Switzerland: FOOD SECURITY AND BIODIVERSITY: SHARING<BR>THE BENEFIT OF PLANT
GENETIC RESOURCES. The symposium will focus on the<BR>International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources, which will enter into<BR>force after ratification by 40
countries. Speakers will examine<BR>practical approaches to interpreting the
treaty's "benefit sharing"<BR>provision. They will also discuss the creation of
incentives for<BR>conservation and "fair access" to plant genetic resources.
The<BR>conference will be hosted by the Swiss Agency for Development
and<BR>Cooperation, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, and
the<BR>International Plant Genetics Resources Institute. For
further<BR>information, contact: email: info@benefitsharing.org; or see
Internet:<BR>http://www.benefitsharing.org<BR><BR><BR>"Natural Protected Areas
and Social Marginalization in Mexico," by<BR>Alejandro Nadal (2003)<BR>This
first Occasional Paper published by IUCN's Commission on<BR>Environmental,
Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) examines the<BR>relationship between natural
protected areas in Mexico and the social<BR>marginalization of communities
living within and around these areas. It<BR>highlights the need to develop
income alternatives for the rural poor if<BR>biodiversity conservation is to be
more than just a policy objective. A<BR>copy of the publication can be obtained
by sending an email to:<BR>mjacobsen@ictsd.ch and will furthermore be available
shortly from<BR>Internet:
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html<BR><BR>"Community Conserved Areas
and Co-managed Protected Areas" by IUCN's<BR>Commission on Environmental,
Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) (No.12,<BR>2003). This issue of the CEESP
newsletter was launched for the Fifth<BR>World Parks Congress in Durban, South
Africa and contains articles from<BR>the CEESP Working Group on Collaborative
Management. A copy can be<BR>obtained by sending an email to: ceesp@iucn.org and
will furthermore be<BR>available shortly from
Internet:<BR>http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html<BR><BR>"Bioprospecting
of Biotechnological Resources in Island countries:<BR>Lessons from the Costa
Rican Experience," by Ana Sittenfeld, Jorge<BR>Cabrera and Marielos Mora in
INSULA INTERNACIONAL JOURNAL OF ISLAND<BR>AFFAIRS (February 2003, Year 12. No 1.
21/26). This article analyses the<BR>role that bioprospecting can play on
capacity building and technology<BR>transfer. According to the authors,
bioprospecting requires the creation<BR>of appropriate frameworks and the
co-operation and involvement of<BR>governments, intermediary institutions,
private enterprise, academia,<BR>and local communities and entities. In this
article, they analyse<BR>bioprospecting frameworks and interactions with
disciplines such as<BR>humanities and business. The article is available
at:<BR>http://www.ictsd.org/biores/bioprospecting.pdf.<BR>MULTILATERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND THE WTO. By Duncan Brack and<BR>Kevin Gray (RIIA,
September 2003). This new report outlines why<BR>agreements contain trade
measures, and how effective they have been,<BR>analyses possible sources of
conflict with WTO rules, and suggests a<BR>range of options for resolving the
conflict.The report is available
at:<BR>http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/MEAs%20and%20WTO.pdf<BR><BR>"Traditional
Knowledge and Patentability," by the International<BR>Institute for Sustainable
Development in IISD TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT<BR>BRIEF (No. 7, Summer 2003). This
paper explores two main issues in the<BR>relationships between the TRIPs
Agreement and traditional knowledge.<BR>Whereas Article 27 of the TRIPs
Agreement allows WTO member countries to<BR>grant on plants and other life
forms, traditionally knowledge, as part<BR>of communities' interactions with the
natural environment, is not<BR>"owned" by anyone. The idea of exclusive
proprietary use of such<BR>knowledge for individual profit is objectionable to
many traditional<BR>knowledge holders, the paper states. The paper is available
at:<BR>http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2003/investment_sdc_may_2003_7.pdf or
at:<BR>http://www.iisd.org/publications/publication.asp?pno=555.<BR><BR>INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY: PROCESS AND SYNERGIES. By<BR>Manuel Ruiz,
David Vivas-Eugui and Maria Fernanada Espinosa (ICTSD and<BR>IUCN, September
2003). This paper was prepared for the 18th Session on<BR>the Global Diversity
Forum's workshop on TRIPS and CBD that took place<BR>in Cancun on 57 September
2003. The main purpose of this paper is to<BR>provide with a brief overview of
key processes where discussions on<BR>protecting TK, development of IPR Policy,
and linkages to IPRs are<BR>taking place and to assess the most critical
substantial issues. The<BR>paper is available
at:<BR>http://www.gbf.ch/Session_Administration/upload/Background%20paper%20Fin<BR>al.doc</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>REGIONAL AND BILATERAL AGREEMENTS AND A TRIPS PLUS-WORLD: THE FREE
TRADE<BR>AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA). By David Vivas-Eugui, 2003. This
paper<BR>provides an overview, based on IPRs negotiations in the Americas,
of<BR>some of the implications of regional and bilateral TRIPS-plus
agreements<BR>for the current minimum standards under TRIPS. The paper uses the
most<BR>ambitious TRIPS-plus proposals presented by countries in the
FTAA<BR>negotiations so as to provide readers with the "maximum"
TRIPS-plus<BR>scenario in the current FTAA process. The paper is available
at:<BR>http://www.gbf.ch/wshop_doc.asp?no=31&now=1&lg=EN&app=.<BR><BR>PAPERS
BY THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW. The papers from the<BR>"Biodiversity
and Biotechnology and the Protection of Traditional<BR>Knowledge" conference
held at Washington University School of Law on 4-6<BR>April 2003, are available
at:<BR>http://law.wustl.edu/centeris/Confpapers/index.html<BR><BR>AGRICULTURE
POLICY REFORM IN THE ECA TRANSITION ECONOMIES, 1991-2002: AN<BR>ASSESSMENT OF
THE WORLD BANK'S APPROACH. By Heath, J. R. (OED/World<BR>Bank, 2003). This desk
study evaluates the World Bank's contribution to<BR>policy reform in the
agriculture sector of the ECA transition economies,<BR>covering the period
1991-2002. It found inter alia that ECSSD's<BR>assistance program has grown
substantially. The Bank's lending and<BR>administrative spending are twice the
mean for all Bank regions. Land<BR>policy and rural finance received the first
and second greatest<BR>coverage. However, monitoring of rural poverty has been
neglected. The<BR>paper is available
at:<BR>http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/DocUNIDViewForJavaSearch/<BR>B464D0ED658DDE1485256D2E00737359/$file/ECA_agriculture_WP.pdf</FONT><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>FARMER'S PRIVILEGE UNDER ATTACK. By the Genetic Resources
Action<BR>International (GRAIN, 2003). This article looks at the impact of
PVP<BR>(plant variety protection) legislation on farmers' rights to save
seeds,<BR>the so called 'farmers' privilege'. The author argues that
PVP<BR>legislation is eroding this privilege, thus threatening food
security,<BR>in an attempt by breeders to use IPRs to control the market for
their<BR>products. It contains a useful, if selective, country by country
guide<BR>to PVP restrictions on the farmers' privilege. The article is
available<BR>at:
http://www.grain.org/publications/bio-ipr-fp-june-2003-en.cfm<BR><BR>AGROBIODIVERSITY
STRATEGIES TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AND HIV/AIDS<BR>IMPACT IN RURAL AFRICA. By
Gari, J. A. (FAO, 2003). On the basis of<BR>participatory field research
conducted in different rural areas of<BR>Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper
demonstrates that agrobiodiversity and<BR>the associated indigenous knowledge
are relevant forces to combat food<BR>insecurity and the HIV/AIDS crisis. The
paper argues that the<BR>mobilisation and development of these agrobiodiversity
components would<BR>expand the options, opportunities and means available at the
rural<BR>grassroots level to improve nutrition, cope with labour
constrains,<BR>safeguard the household economic security, and enhance
sustainable<BR>agriculture. The paper is available at:<BR><A
href="http://www.developmentgateway.org/download/204068/agbdv_prelim.pdf">http://www.developmentgateway.org/download/204068/agbdv_prelim.pdf</A></FONT><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Electronic Resources<BR><BR>MEGADIVERSE WEBSITE. The Link-Minded Group of
Megadiverse Countries --<BR>Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Colombia,
Ecuador, India, Indonesia,<BR>Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, South
Africa and Venezuela<BR>-- operate a website about the Group's work. In Spanish
and English.<BR>http://www.megadiverse.org<BR><BR>GRAIN RESOURCE WEBPAGE ON
TRIPS-PLUS. GRAIN has put together a resource<BR>page on TRIPS-plus on its
website, with links to key documents in terms<BR>of patents on life.
http://www.grain.org/publications/tripsplus.cfm</FONT><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2>"Wir brauchen keine Bio-Terroristen, wenn
wir doch Gentechniker haben."<BR>Independent Science Panel (<A
href="http://www.indsp.org">www.indsp.org</A>)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>