Side Event

THE ROLE OF CUSTOMARY LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ABS AND TK GOVERNANCE

Organizer
Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR), UNU-IAS, SPDA and Natural Justice

Date and Time
12 November 2009 13:15 - 14:45

Meeting
Eighth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing (WG ABS 8)

The event will present the findings of a study by UNU-IAS on the role of customary law in ABS and TK Governance in Andean and Pacific Island countries and of a recent publication by the Initiative for Biopiracy on complementarity and conflict between customary resource and knowledge management and national sui generis TK legislation in Peru. Both studies examine the interrelationship between between TK protection, recognition of customary law and realization of indigenous peoples human rights and provide insights into the practical, legal and cultural challenges facing indigenous peoples and regulators in defining and securing the role of customary law in national and international TK law and policy. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion and open debate