Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with respect to contractual clauses on the access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge

In a February 2002 statement, IUCN and CIEL urged a Committee and WIPO to ensure that contractual frameworks for accessing genetic resources and traditional knowledge respect the rights and customary laws of indigenous peoples and local communities. They emphasized that current patent systems are insufficient for biodiversity conservation and called for the integration of ecosystem conservation costs and the active, funded participation of stakeholders in these legal discussions.

• IUCN and CIEL argue that genetic resources are only a small portion of the goods and services provided by biological diversity and ecosystems, and that the availability of these resources depends largely on the conservation efforts of indigenous peoples and local communities. They assert that these communities are not only custodians of resources and traditional knowledge but also holders of rights under national constitutions and international instruments like ILO Convention 169. Furthermore, they state that current intellectual property rights and patent systems do not inherently ensure the protection of these rights or the conservation of biological diversity.
• The organizations recommend that any model clauses or normative frameworks regarding the use of traditional knowledge and genetic resources must respect the rights and customary laws of indigenous peoples and local communities, while considering the costs and strategies for ecosystem conservation. They specifically call for the Committee to study applicable principles from customary law, examine existing regional, national, and local contract models—particularly in biodiversity-rich countries—and provide technical and financial support to ensure the informed participation of all stakeholders, especially indigenous peoples and local communities.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2002). Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with respect to contractual clauses on the access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge. https://www.ciel.org/news/intervention-by-world-conservation-union-and-the-center-for-international-environmental-law-with-respect-to-contractual-clauses-on-the-access-to-genetic-resources-and-traditional-knowledge/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with respect to contractual clauses on the access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge. 2002. https://www.ciel.org/news/intervention-by-world-conservation-union-and-the-center-for-international-environmental-law-with-respect-to-contractual-clauses-on-the-access-to-genetic-resources-and-traditional-knowledge/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with respect to contractual clauses on the access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge |date=1 February 2002 |url=https://www.ciel.org/news/intervention-by-world-conservation-union-and-the-center-for-international-environmental-law-with-respect-to-contractual-clauses-on-the-access-to-genetic-resources-and-traditional-knowledge/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2002intervention, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with respect to contractual clauses on the access to genetic resources and traditional knowledge}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2002}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/news/intervention-by-world-conservation-union-and-the-center-for-international-environmental-law-with-respect-to-contractual-clauses-on-the-access-to-genetic-resources-and-traditional-knowledge/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }