Geneva, 18 July 2005
By UNPO Secretariat Team

In a parallel session on Monday, July 18, Ms. Krystyna Swiderska of the International Institute for Environmental Development spoke about the Protection of Collective Bio-Cultural Heritage. The UK-based NGO works with indigenous populations in Peru, Panama, India, Kenya, and China to facilitate the protection of traditional knowledge as it relates to biodiversity.

She outlined the adopted definition of Collective-Bio Cultural Heritage. It encompasses: “Knowledge, innovations, and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities which are often held collectively and inextricably linked to traditional resources and territories; including the diversity of genes, varieties, species and ecosystems; cultural and spiritual values; and customary laws shaped within the socio-ecological context of communities.”

Her presentation is particularly relevant to this Working Group’s Theme, which focuses on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge. Several representatives have expressed the association of land with a sense of identity, and the role of territory in spiritual practices and beliefs. Certain members have also mentioned the rise of bio-piracy, or the theft of traditional knowledge as it relates to bio-cultural heritage.

Discussion following the presentation suggested that the Working Group 2005 could serve as a platform for the development of an international legal instrument that approaches Bio-Cultural Heritage- and its preservation- from a human rights perspective.