Date:17/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/01/17/stories/2005011701530500.htm

Back India to host biodiversity meet

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Jan. 16

WITH an aim to ensure that the benefits of using the diverse biological resources and traditional knowledge is shared with those who own it, India, along with 17 other countries, plans to finalise a Ministerial declaration on access and benefit sharing (ABS) soon.

The countries, which call themselves like minded megadiverse countries (LMMCs) and own nearly 60-70 per cent of world's biodiversity, are now "well recognised as an important negotiating block in the UN," according to an official statement.

"These countries, through a declaration, would make an effort to ensure that whenever any company uses a biological resource or knowledge of another country/area and reaps benefits, it shares the benefits with the owners of the resource or knowledge," explained an official.

The LMMCs will meet here from January 17-21.

They would discuss the issues relating to access to genetic resources and associated knowledge, intellectual property rights (IPRs) in relation to biological resources, and traditional knowledge.