After the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 and it's coming into force in 1993, biodiversity resources were deemed to be under the sovereign jurisdiction of the nation-state and traditional and indigenous biological knowledge was seen important to be part of the main convention. The provisions for the convention for prior informed consent and the need to evolve fair and equitable benefit sharing mechanism for the holders of traditional knowledge and biodiversity/genetic resources. The changing scenario though brought about good news in the form of benefit sharing arrangements but the flip side saw an increase in problematic biodiversity prospecting and patenting activities. The need therefore for biodiversity rich areas is to raise awareness in circumventing the acts of bio-piracy and create frameworks to address these questions.

With this background, NEFEJ is organizing an interaction program on information dissemination and raising awareness for access and benefit sharing from genetic resources in Nepal. Mr. Ratnakar Adhikari will be the key speaker at the program. He will focus his presentation in the topic “Intellectual Property Rights, Access and Benefit Sharing”.

Venue: NEFEJ Secretariat, Thapathali
Time: 3:30 p.m
Date: Monday, 25th Ashar, 2064 (July 9, 2007)