Biodiversity: LMMCs release Declaration

India and 16 other countries like China, Brazil and Indonesia, belonging to the Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries LMMC have decided to cooperate with each other to develop strategies for conservation of biodiversity.

The members today released a New Delhi Ministerial Declaration after two days of discussions attended by environment ministers and experts from the 17 countries. The declaration stated that the LMMCs have agreed to jointly further work towards creating the Megadiverse Cooperation Fund for supporting projects in member countries that meet the objectives of the Group. The statement further said that the countries would look at the feasibility of harmonising approaches to regulating access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

The declaration decided that the proposed international regime on Access and Benefit Sharing of genetic resources and traditional knowledge should include 8216;8216;mandatory disclosure of the country of origin of biological material and associated traditional knowledge in Intellectual Property Rights application, along with an undertaking that the prevalent laws and practices of the country of origin have been respected and specific consequences in the event of failure to disclose the country of origin8217;8217;.