Publication

This paper examines the history, evolution and current status of the negotiations of an international regime (IR) on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing (ABS) in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It addresses the relationship between the IR and the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The article highlights options and scenarios for a synergistic implementation of the intellectual property rights (IPR) instruments, processes and the possible outcomes of the IR and raises some questions that require further scrutiny.