| Abstract Detail
Monday Morning Plenary Session Genomics meets Biodiversity Hirsch, Leonard P. [1]. You thought it was scientific research you signed up for: Navigating the politics and policies of biological research in an time of fears of biopiracy. THIS presentation will look at the trends and processes occurring that impact biodiversity research around the world. The parallel problems of global politics—biopiracy claims—and security issues—specimens might be invasive, harmful, etc—are creating bureaucratic and public relations difficulties, and making some research impossible. The costs of moving specimens across borders (or even within countries) are increasing enormously due to the twin concerns of value and danger. More paperwork, more protection and more checkpoints are part of the world we must live in. And we have to live it in—to break it is to make it worse. The discussions at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Trade Organization and the FAO will be outlined, as well as the work of the US government interagency working group on the transport of research materials. The global policy discussion, and I fear, the polemics, will continue. This will continue to make researchers and pawns in international negotiations. The research community must work together to find the mechanisms to address the concerns and reduce the tensions being fanned by the extremes on all sides. We need to develop a new math: T=3T Trust = Traceability, transparency, and tractability. I will end with some ideas of what can the research community do to minimize the problems and work with governments around the world to reduce the fears and produce the best regulatory system which protects legitimate interests without creating unnecessary burdens for research. We must be fully engaged in the process and part of the solution.
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1 - Smithsonian Institution, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW #3123, MRC 705 PO Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
Keywords:
policy
international
permits.
Session: SOL02-7
Location: Ballroom ABCD/Monona Terrace
Date: Monday, July 24th, 2006
Time: 11:30 AM
Abstract ID:412 |
