Biodiversity and Marine Resources News Archive

2003

Biotechnology Workshop: The conference “Can agricultural biotechnology be pro-poor? - Examining the politics of policy in the developing world” was held at IDS in Brighton on 1-2 October 2003 to wrap-up a three year research project entitled 'Globalisation, Food Security and the International Governance of Modern Biotechnology'.

The workshop summary is available here in PDF.

For more information on the workshop please see the IDS Website, and for more information on the project, click here.

FIELD Secures Pre-Project Darwin Initiative Funding: FIELD received pre-project funding from the Darwin Initiative (DEFRA) which enabled FIELD lawyer, Carolina Lasen Diaz, to travel to Coast Rica and meet with staff of CEDARENA (the Costa Rican Centre for Environmental Law and Natural Resources) in July 2003.

FIELD and CEDARENA discussed a joint project proposal to strengthen the capacity of indigenous and local communities on the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity in Central America. The discussions of this project proposal also include the participation of indigenous and technical organisations in the region, with a view to submitting a joint project proposal to the next Round of Darwin Initiative funding, due in October 2003.

Seminar on Access to Genetic Resources, Benefit Sharing and Traditional Knowledge in Chile, 29-30 May 2003: FIELD co-organised a two-day seminar on access to genetic resources, benefit sharing and the protection of traditional knowledge associated to biodiversity in Yumbel (VIII Region, Chile). This seminar is a key activity of a two-year project funded by DEFRA's Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species. FIELD Staff Lawyer Carolina Lasen Diaz attended the seminar, and you can read her summary on-line in English or in Spanish.

And the Seminar Report is now available! Click here for the Report in English, or click here for the Spanish version.

Access to Genetic Resources Workshop Report Now Available: As part of our ongoing collaboration with WWF-South Pacific Programme (WWF-SPP) and following on the SPREP/WWF-SPP/FIELD project on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing in the Pacific Islands Region, FIELD Staff Lawyer Carolina Lasén Diaz participated in a national workshop on access to genetic resources in Honiara (Solomon Islands) on 7-8 May 2003.

The meeting was organised by WWF-SPP and the Solomon Islands’ Environment and Conservation Division, Department of Forests, Environment and Conservation and was attended by government officials, representatives of local communities, traditional leaders, traditional healers and NGOs.

Workshop recommendations included the need to raise awareness on this issue and organise a consultation process on the development of a national policy and law on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing in the Solomon Islands. A working committee was also established to lead this process. The full workshop recommendations are annexed to the workshop report.

The workshop report is now available here and click here for more information on the project.

FIELD / IUCN Explanatory Guide to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: The Guide is availableon-line from International Biodiversity Day, 22 May 2003. Click here for more details.