Rights of Indigenous Peoples

SouthViews No. 276, 29 October 2024

Can international law promote innovation from genetic resources and benefit sharing while recognizing the rights of traditional knowledge holders?

By Henry de Novion

Indigenous peoples and local communities have been innovating for millennia and contributing to the development of new products and processes. For international law to promote innovation, it is indispensable to promote indigenous peoples and local communities’ rights to prior informed consent, to benefit sharing, and to guaranteeing their territories, culture, and existence.

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SouthViews No. 170, 9 August 2018

The Imperative of Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights to Their Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources in the Intellectual Property Rights Regime under the WTO and WIPO

By Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Member of the South Centre’s Board, made a presentation, reproduced below, about ‘The Imperative of Protecting and Respecting Indigenous Peoples’ Rights to Their Traditional Knowledge, Traditional Cultural Expressions and Genetic Resources in the Intellectual Property Rights Regime under the WTO and WIPO’ at the International Conference on the TRIPS-CBD Linkage: Issues and Way Forward, held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 7-8 June 2018. The conference was jointly organized by the South Centre, the Centre for WTO Studies, New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa to the WTO. (more…)