|
A group seventeen countries, known as the Like Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), rich in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge will meet here to discuss the issues relating to access to genetic resources and associated knowledge, intellectual property rights (IPRs) in relation to biological resources, and traditional knowledge.
The five-day meet, which will be inaugurated by the Minister of Environment and Forests, Thiru A. Raja on 17th January 2005, is being hosted by India in its capacity as the President of the Group. The two-day ministerial level meeting of LMMCs will be inaugurated by Thiru Raja on 20th January 2005. The meeting, organized in cooperation with IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and UNDP (United nations Development Programme), will be attended by ministers, experts, government officials and various stakeholders.
The meeting will help in evolving a common position of the LMMCs for developing an international regime on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) and is expected to result in finalization and adoption of the New Delhi Ministerial Declaration of LMMCs on ABS.
Recognizing the urgent need to develop human resources, capabilities, and legal and public policy to enable countries rich in biodiversity to take an active part in the new economy associated with the use of biological diversity and biotechnology, seventeen countries rich in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge have formed a group known as the Like Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC). These countries are Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, and Venezuela. The LMMC Group, which holds nearly 60-70% of all biodiversity, is now well recognized as an important negotiating block in the UN and other international fora.
AKS/rs
|
