[Pirateninfo] BRIDGES Trade BioRes, Vol. 3 No. 16

[Martin Sundermann]

Hallo Miteinander - hier der aktuelle Zusammenschnitt der Brücken, glück auf - martin
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BRIDGES Trade BioRes, Vol. 3 No. 16    19 September, 2003
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I. CANCUN MINISTERIAL MEETING
   - World Trade Talks Collapse In Cancun

II. WORLD PARKS CONGRESS
   - Reconciling Protected Areas and Sustainable Livelihoods

IV. IN BRIEF
   - Biosafety Protocol To Enter Into Force
   - Farmer's Rights Network Launched In Cancun

VI. EVENTS & RESOURCES

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Cancun Ministerial Meeting
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WORLD TRADE TALKS COLLAPSE IN CANCUN

The WTO Ministerial Conference, held from 10-14 September in Cancun,
Mexico, ended abruptly and early on Sunday without consensus on any of
the items on its agenda and in bitter divisions over the launch of
negotiations on the so-called Singapore issues (i.e. investment,
competition, trade facilitation and government procurement) and over
agriculture. Whereas most Members regretted the trade talks' collapse,
many civil society groups were pleased with the breakdown and applauded
the new negotiating strength of developing countries, which had grouped
together in before unseen coalitions. Many observers have speculated
that the collapse of the trade talks will likely result in a renewed
effort to liberalise trade at the bilateral and regional levels.


The negotiations in a nutshell

To facilitate talks, five Working Groups were formed on agriculture,
non-agricultural market access, development, Singapore issues and
miscellaneous issues (including environment). Moreover, WTO
Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi facilitated negotiations on the
cotton initiative, put forward by four West and Central African (WCA)
countries in an effort to address rich country cotton subsidies --
particularly in the US -- that distort prices and threaten livelihoods
in the region. Following bilateral consultations and Working Group
discussions, Conference Chair Luis Ernesto Derbez (Mexico) issued a
revised draft Ministerial Text on 13 September.

Members were clearly unhappy with the revised draft Ministerial Text,
with agriculture and the Singapore issues emerging as the most
contentious areas. The language on cotton, which closely reflects the US
approach, evoked outrage among the WCA countries as well as their
sympathisers. "We are used to hardship, disease and famine," said a
representative of the cotton industry. "Now the WTO is against us as
well. I think this will stay in history - the mountain did not give
birth to a mouse, it gave birth to an ant".

The final round of negotiations on 14 September began with discussions
on the Singapore issues, which Chair Derbez had identified as the most
contentious area. In the end, the EC -- the main demandeur on the
Singapore issues -- signalled its willingness to take investment and
competition out of the Doha Round and the WTO, leaving trade
facilitation and transparency in government procurement for launch at
Cancun. This proposal, however, was rejected by the African countries,
which demanded further clarification before launching any negotiations,
as well as Korea and Japan, which called for negotiations on all four
issues. Given the deep divisions among Members, Chair Derbez decided to
close the meeting.

The only outcome of the Cancun meeting is a brief Ministerial Statement
in which Members agree to convene a General Council meeting at the
Senior Officials level by 15 December and until then carry on with the
negotiations. The Statement notes that "in those areas where [Members]
have reached a high level of convergence on texts, [they] undertake to
maintain this convergence while working for an acceptable overall
outcome". It is thus unclear what will happen to those areas where no
"high level of convergence" could be reached. It was also left open on
which version of the draft Ministerial Text Members would base Geneva
negotiations.


Governments disappointed, question Chair's decision

A number of observers expressed surprise that Derbez had decided to
address Singapore issues before agriculture, when many (mostly
developing) countries earlier in the negotiations had insisted that
progress on the Singapore issues would be contingent on movement in
agriculture. Some African delegates also wondered why this EC-driven
agenda should be the "make or break" issue, rather than their own
priorities. Moreover, some Members questioned the Chair's decision to
pull the plug on the talks at a point where no part of the draft Text
except the Singapore issues had been discussed in the final
negotiations. Patricia Hewitt, UK Secretary of State for Trade and
Industry, stated that Derbez's decision was "utterly unexpected" and
"premature". "There was a deal to be had," she said, indicating that the
Europeans had been ready to negotiate.

European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy left no doubts about his view
that "Cancun has failed". Describing the WTO as a "medieval
organisation", Lamy blamed the failure on the organisation's procedures
and rules, which he said were not able to support the weight of the
tasks. Regarding future negotiations he stressed that the offers made in
Cancun would remain on the table. US Trade Representative Robert
Zoellick also expressed deep disappointment with the outcome and
emphasised that the US would aggressively pursue bilateral and regional
trade agreements in the absence of multilateral movement forward, in
particular the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), where the
failure of the Cancun talks could severely complicate negotiations at
the November FTAA Ministerial.

Although regretting the failure, the G-22 -- a group of developing
countries, led by Brazil, China and India, that had formed just prior to
the Cancun meeting to pursue a common position on agriculture -- were
pleased that their group had solidified through the negotiations and had
shown that it was a serious and professional party in the agriculture
talks. The ACP/LDC/AU -- an alliance of African, Caribbean and Pacific
countries -- expressed disappointment that in the end negotiations never
got to deal with its priority issues, i.e. agriculture, non-agricultural
market access, special and differential treatment, and of course cotton.
Speaking strictly in his personal capacity, the LDC Group's spokesperson
Bangladeshi Trade Minister Amir Chowdhury said that he thought the
alliance could have had more flexibility on the Singapore issues if more
had been offered for cotton.


Civil society groups welcome collapse of talks

Many development and environmental civil society groups applauded the
breakdown of the Cancun negotiations. Most NGOs, including Action Aid,
Oxfam, Greenpeace, WWF and Third World Network blamed the EC and the US
of wrecking the trade talks by only looking after their own interests
without taking developing countries seriously. They applauded developing
countries for holding out against Northern interests. "It is clear that
we are seeing a shift in the power dynamic at the WTO," said Mark
Ritchie of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. "No longer
are developing countries going to roll over for the US and EU --
particularly on issues of vital importance to them." WWF also called on
governments to now focus on slimming the WTO agenda and dealing with
sustainable development issues in forums outside the WTO.


Environment issues in the draft

Although it remains unclear whether negotiations will continue on the
basis of the revised draft Text released in Cancun, a number of
environment-related provisions in the draft are worth bearing in mind
for future discussions. Notably, the draft Text addresses
observership/'invitee' issue for the Committee on Trade and Environment
special sessions -- one of the EC's key demands (see BRIDGES Trade
BioRes, 5
September 2003, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/03-09-05/story1.htm).
Specially,
Members would agree to invite Secretariats of multilateral environmental
agreements (MEA), UNEP and UNCTAD to the special sessions for the
duration
of the negotiations. These invitations would be extended "in accordance
with
[the CTE's] current practice", under which observers have been confined
to
responding to questions raised by Members and have only been allowed to
be
present during discussions on Doha para. 31(i) on the WTO-MEA
relationship.

Moreover, the draft includes references to environmental goods in the
Annex dealing with non-agricultural market access (NAMA), encouraging
the NAMA Negotiating Group to work closely with the Committee on Trade
and Environment special session "with a view to addressing the issue of
non-agricultural environmental goods covered in paragraph 31(iii) of the
Doha Ministerial Declaration". This formulation opens the possibility
that organic agricultural products might be included in the
yet-to-be-finalised definition of environmental goods -- as suggested by
Kenya.

Following a proposal by India, the revised draft includes text on Doha
paragraph 19, which deals with issues related to the review of Article
27.3(b) on patentability of life, biodiversity and traditional
knowledge. The draft simply instructs the Council for Trade-related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) to continue its work and
requests the General Council to report to the next session of the
Ministerial meeting. This raises the question of whether paragraph 19 --
which includes implementation issues related to, inter alia, the
TRIPs-CBD relationship and the protection of traditional knowledge --
would be de-linked from the other implementation issues and the mandate
in Cancun paragraph 13, which instructs the General Council to "review
progress and take any appropriate action" by an as yet unspecified date.

For a detailed account of the negotiations in Cancun and relevant WTO
documents, see http://www.ictsd.org/ministerial/index.htm.

ICTSD reporting; "WTO breakdown should be a wake-up call for real
reform," IATP, 14 September 2003.




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World Parks Congress
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RECONCILING PROTECTED AREAS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

>From 8 to 17 September, IUCN - The World Conservation Union convened the
fifth World Parks Congress (WPC), a once in a decade event focusing on
the state and the future of the world's Protected Areas. The meeting was
held in Durban, South Africa under the overall theme of "Benefits Beyond
Boundaries". The outcomes of the WPC thus also focus on how to ensure
that the benefits of protected areas are conserved and shared in an
equal manner -- an issue which many say has been ignored for too long.


The future of protected areas

During the ten-day meeting, scientists, conservationists, civil
servants, business leaders, resource managers and environment ministers
got together to establish a common agenda for protected areas. They
published recommendations and guidelines, which although non-binding
provide guidelines for governments. Tacking stock since the last WPC
held in Venezuela in 1992, participants were pleased to announce that
they had surpassed the target to devote 10 percent of the earth's
surface to protected areas by 2 percent. At the same time several
countries and civil society organisations took the opportunity to
announce newly established protected areas and pledge new funds for the
development of protected areas. In particular participants stressed the
need to establish more marine and coastal protected areas, pointing to
the bad state of world's fisheries and marine resources due to
overfishing, fisheries subsidies, illegal fishing and bad management
practices. The official outcomes of the meeting are the Durban Accord
and Action Plan, which sets the conservation agenda for the next ten
years, as well as a message to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) proposing actions under the CBD to support the outcomes of the
WPC.


Benefits for indigenous peoples and a message to the CBD

The Durban Accord, as the main output of the WPC, highlights that a
rapidly changing world has resulted in an increasing loss of biological
and cultural diversity and stresses the important role protected areas
play in halting this loss as well as in achieving broader development
goals. Furthermore the Accord stresses the importance of the wisdom and
knowledge held by various cultures enabling the sustainable use and
conservation of biodiversity, and acknowledges that protected areas are
important providers of ecosystem goods and services. Reflecting the
overall theme of benefits beyond boundaries and the large participation
of indigenous groups and peoples in the WPC, participants stressed that
while many costs of protected areas are borne locally -- particularly by
poor communities -- benefits accrue globally and remain
under-appreciated and are not shared with local communities.

As a message to the World Trade Organization, the meeting also calls for
commitment and action on ensuring that globalisation and trade
agreements do not hinder the capacity of protected areas to achieve
their core aims, and that benefits are shared with indigenous peoples
and local communities. Furthermore participants urge commitment to the
economic valuation of protected areas and innovative and diversified
income generating strategies. They also highlight the need to provide
the stewards of ecosystem goods and services with payments. With regard
to the bad state of world fisheries the WPC also calls on governments to
redirect perverse subsidies toward support mechanisms for protected
areas.

Participants also endorsed a message to the CBD, in which they point to
the critical role of biodiversity for sustainable development
strategies. Moreover, they note that the current loss of biodiversity
due to human activities must be reversed, which can only be done if the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair
and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic
resources was ensured. Among others the Congress calls on the CBD to
ensure that mechanisms are put in place to guarantee that indigenous and
mobile peoples, local communities, women and youth, share the benefits
arising from protected areas. They also requested the CBD to create
well-managed systems, which enable the broad participation of
stakeholders in the development and management of protected areas.


A global commitment to sustainable livelihoods?

Traditionally, conservation efforts, the establishment of protected
areas and the pursuit of sustainable livelihoods by indigenous peoples
have not always been mutually supportive. However this paradigm might
have changed with this World Parks Congress, which saw a high and active
participation of a diverse range of indigenous groups celebrating their
role in the sustainable use and management of biodiversity and protected
areas. This is further highlighted by the outcomes of the Durban
meeting, which place the role and the rights of people in developing and
managing protected areas at the centre stage. As South African
Environmental Affairs Minister Valli Moosa pointed out during the
closing plenary, "we have established a link very firmly between
ecosystems and communities. It's a new paradigm and there is no going
back from here". He furthermore highlighted that the Congress had
identified how protected areas could be used as a tool in poverty
alleviation efforts. Kenton Millor, Chair of the IUCNs World Commission
on Protected Areas also emphasised that "Today’s agenda recognises the
benefits [of Protected Areas] and ensures that they are equitably
shared. In 2013 we will be able to look back and hopefully be proud of
our new achievements".

The outcomes of the Fifth World Parks Congress are available at:
http://www.iucn.org/themes/wcpa/wpc2003/index.htm. For daily reporting,
see IISD Linkages at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/sd/worldparksV/.

"Protected Areas Blossom at World Parks Congress," ENS, 18 September
2003; "Parks Congress Sets 10-Year Plan to Protect Planet," ENS, 18
September 2003.




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In Brief
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BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL ENTERS INTO FORCE

On September 11, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, established under
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), entered into force. Based
on a precautionary approach, the Protocol regulates the transboundary
movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) that may have adverse
effects on biodiversity and human health. It establishes an advance
informed agreement procedure for import of LMOs for environmental
release, as well as a Biosafety Clearinghouse (http://bch.biodiv.org),
which will be used by Parties to exchange information. European
Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström described the Protocol as a
"fundamental step towards better global governance" in the area of
biotechnology. "If we want to promote free trade on a global scale we
must also ensure that protecting the environment and human health is
taken into account by finding multilateral solutions for global
problems," she added. The first meeting of the Parties to the Protocol
is scheduled for 23-27 February 2004 in Malaysia, back-to-back with
COP-7 of the CBD. Parties will need to address a number of trade-related
issues that remained unresolved during the Protocol's negotiation,
including requirements for identifying shipments of LMO commodities and
standards for identification, handling, packaging and transport
practices (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 2 May 2002,
http://www.ictsd.org/biores/02-05-02/story3.htm).

103 Parties have signed and 57 have ratified the Cartagena Protocol. A
number of major exporting countries of genetically modified crops have
not ratified the Protocol, including the US, Canada, Argentina and
Australia.

"Better Biosafe than Sorry," GRIST MAGAZINE, 11 September 2003; "Safe
Management of GMOs: The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Becomes Law,"
EU, 11 September 2003; "Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety takes effect"
CBD, 11 September 2003.


FARMER'S RIGHTS NETWORK LAUNCHED IN CANCUN

On the sidelines of the WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun, like-minded
international civil society organisations from Asia, Africa, Latin
America, Europe and North America formed the Farmers' Rights Advocacy
Network (FRANK). The Network will be used as a tool to launch effective
advocacy programmes across the globe and put pressure on agencies
concerned with farmers rights. The Secretariat will be housed at the
South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE) in
Kathmandu, Nepal. For further information, contact Kamalesh Adhikari,
SAWTEE, at kamaleshad at hotmail.com.

"International Network Formed to Protect Farmers’ Rights," SAWTEE PRESS
RELEASE, 11 September 2003.



21-23 September, Porquerolles, France: THE PORT CROS SYMPOSIUM ON
SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES AND BIODIVERSITY. This workshop is organized by
IUCN- the World Conservation Union, TotalFinaElf and the French Research
Institute for Exploitation of the Sea. It aims to produce guidelines for
an ecosystem approach to fisheries for the Mediterranean Sea. For
further information, contact: Claudiane Chevalier; tel: (34-9)
5202-8430; fax: 5202-8145; email: claudiane.chevalier at iucn.org;
Internet: http://iucn.org/places/medoffice/eventos/port_cros.htm

25-30 September, Terre Rouge, Mauritius: GLOBAL SUMMIT ON MEDICINAL
PLANTS. Hosted by the Century Foundation, this conference will consider
"Recent Trends in Cultivation, Conservation, Phytomedicine and Other
Alternative Therapies for Human Welfare." For further information,
contact: Anita Menon; tel: (91-80) 524-9900; fax: 524-4592; email:
cenfound at sparrl.com; Internet:
http://www.cenfound.org/global/global.html

29-30 September, Mexico City, Mexico: GENE FLOW: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
BIODIVERSITY AND CENTERS OF ORIGIN. The conference, which is organised
by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology (PIFB) and the
U.S.-Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC), will deal with scientific,
cultural, ethical, and economic questions concerning the genetic
diversity of maize, a species native to Mexico, and the introduction of
genetically modified (GM) plants to centres of origin. The conference
will be attended by experts from science, industry, government,
academia, and the media. For further information, contact: Pew
Initiative on Food and Biotechnology; Internet:
http://pewagbiotech.org/events/0929/


16 October, Based, Switzerland: FOOD SECURITY AND BIODIVERSITY: SHARING
THE BENEFIT OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES. The symposium will focus on the
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, which will enter into
force after ratification by 40 countries. Speakers will examine
practical approaches to interpreting the treaty's "benefit sharing"
provision. They will also discuss the creation of incentives for
conservation and "fair access" to plant genetic resources. The
conference will be hosted by the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, and the
International Plant Genetics Resources Institute. For further
information, contact: email:  info at benefitsharing.org; or see Internet:
http://www.benefitsharing.org


"Natural Protected Areas and Social Marginalization in Mexico," by
Alejandro Nadal (2003)
This first Occasional Paper published by IUCN's Commission on
Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) examines the
relationship between natural protected areas in Mexico and the social
marginalization of communities living within and around these areas. It
highlights the need to develop income alternatives for the rural poor if
biodiversity conservation is to be more than just a policy objective. A
copy of the publication can be obtained by sending an email to:
mjacobsen at ictsd.ch and will furthermore be available shortly from
Internet: http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html

"Community Conserved Areas and Co-managed Protected Areas" by IUCN's
Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) (No.12,
2003). This issue of the CEESP newsletter was launched for the Fifth
World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa and contains articles from
the CEESP Working Group on Collaborative Management. A copy can be
obtained by sending an email to: ceesp at iucn.org and will furthermore be
available shortly from Internet:
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html

"Bioprospecting of Biotechnological Resources in Island countries:
Lessons from the Costa Rican Experience," by Ana Sittenfeld, Jorge
Cabrera and Marielos Mora in INSULA INTERNACIONAL JOURNAL OF ISLAND
AFFAIRS (February 2003, Year 12. No 1. 21/26). This article analyses the
role that bioprospecting can play on capacity building and technology
transfer. According to the authors, bioprospecting requires the creation
of appropriate frameworks and the co-operation and involvement of
governments, intermediary institutions, private enterprise, academia,
and local communities and entities. In this article, they analyse
bioprospecting frameworks and interactions with disciplines such as
humanities and business. The article is available at:
http://www.ictsd.org/biores/bioprospecting.pdf.
MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND THE WTO. By Duncan Brack and
Kevin Gray (RIIA, September 2003). This new report outlines why
agreements contain trade measures, and how effective they have been,
analyses possible sources of conflict with WTO rules, and suggests a
range of options for resolving the conflict.The report is available at:
http://www.riia.org/pdf/research/sdp/MEAs%20and%20WTO.pdf

"Traditional Knowledge and Patentability," by the International
Institute for Sustainable Development in IISD TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
BRIEF (No. 7, Summer 2003). This paper explores two main issues in the
relationships between the TRIPs Agreement and traditional knowledge.
Whereas Article 27 of the TRIPs Agreement allows WTO member countries to
grant on plants and other life forms, traditionally knowledge, as part
of communities' interactions with the natural environment, is not
"owned" by anyone. The idea of exclusive proprietary use of such
knowledge for individual profit is objectionable to many traditional
knowledge holders, the paper states. The paper is available at:
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2003/investment_sdc_may_2003_7.pdf or at:
http://www.iisd.org/publications/publication.asp?pno=555.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND BIODIVERSITY: PROCESS AND SYNERGIES. By
Manuel Ruiz, David Vivas-Eugui and Maria Fernanada Espinosa (ICTSD and
IUCN, September 2003). This paper was prepared for the 18th Session on
the Global Diversity Forum's workshop on TRIPS and CBD that took place
in Cancun on 57 September 2003. The main purpose of this paper is to
provide with a brief overview of key processes where discussions on
protecting TK, development of IPR Policy, and linkages to IPRs are
taking place and to assess the most critical substantial issues. The
paper is available at:
http://www.gbf.ch/Session_Administration/upload/Background%20paper%20Fin
al.doc

REGIONAL AND BILATERAL AGREEMENTS AND A TRIPS PLUS-WORLD: THE FREE TRADE
AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA). By David Vivas-Eugui, 2003. This paper
provides an overview, based on IPRs negotiations in the Americas, of
some of the implications of regional and bilateral TRIPS-plus agreements
for the current minimum standards under TRIPS. The paper uses the most
ambitious TRIPS-plus proposals presented by countries in the FTAA
negotiations so as to provide readers with the "maximum" TRIPS-plus
scenario in the current FTAA process. The paper is available at:
http://www.gbf.ch/wshop_doc.asp?no=31&now=1&lg=EN&app=.

PAPERS BY THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW. The papers from the
"Biodiversity and Biotechnology and the Protection of Traditional
Knowledge" conference held at Washington University School of Law on 4-6
April 2003, are available at:
http://law.wustl.edu/centeris/Confpapers/index.html

AGRICULTURE POLICY REFORM IN THE ECA TRANSITION ECONOMIES, 1991-2002: AN
ASSESSMENT OF THE WORLD BANK'S APPROACH. By Heath, J. R. (OED/World
Bank, 2003). This desk study evaluates the World Bank's contribution to
policy reform in the agriculture sector of the ECA transition economies,
covering the period 1991-2002. It found inter alia that ECSSD's
assistance program has grown substantially. The Bank's lending and
administrative spending are twice the mean for all Bank regions. Land
policy and rural finance received the first and second greatest
coverage. However, monitoring of rural poverty has been neglected. The
paper is available at:
http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/DocUNIDViewForJavaSearch/
B464D0ED658DDE1485256D2E00737359/$file/ECA_agriculture_WP.pdf

FARMER'S PRIVILEGE UNDER ATTACK. By the Genetic Resources Action
International (GRAIN, 2003). This article looks at the impact of PVP
(plant variety protection) legislation on farmers' rights to save seeds,
the so called 'farmers' privilege'. The author argues that PVP
legislation is eroding this privilege, thus threatening food security,
in an attempt by breeders to use IPRs to control the market for their
products. It contains a useful, if selective, country by country guide
to PVP restrictions on the farmers' privilege. The article is available
at: http://www.grain.org/publications/bio-ipr-fp-june-2003-en.cfm

AGROBIODIVERSITY STRATEGIES TO COMBAT FOOD INSECURITY AND HIV/AIDS
IMPACT IN RURAL AFRICA. By Gari, J. A. (FAO, 2003). On the basis of
participatory field research conducted in different rural areas of
Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper demonstrates that agrobiodiversity and
the associated indigenous knowledge are relevant forces to combat food
insecurity and the HIV/AIDS crisis. The paper argues that the
mobilisation and development of these agrobiodiversity components would
expand the options, opportunities and means available at the rural
grassroots level to improve nutrition, cope with labour constrains,
safeguard the household economic security, and enhance sustainable
agriculture. The paper is available at:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/download/204068/agbdv_prelim.pdf

Electronic Resources

MEGADIVERSE WEBSITE. The Link-Minded Group of Megadiverse Countries --
Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia,
Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, South Africa and Venezuela
-- operate a website about the Group's work. In Spanish and English.
http://www.megadiverse.org

GRAIN RESOURCE WEBPAGE ON TRIPS-PLUS. GRAIN has put together a resource
page on TRIPS-plus on its website, with links to key documents in terms
of patents on life. http://www.grain.org/publications/tripsplus.cfm


"Wir brauchen keine Bio-Terroristen, wenn wir doch Gentechniker haben."
Independent Science Panel (www.indsp.org)
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