The 17 Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC) will thrash out a common position tomorrow to take on the developed countries for getting the full benefit of sharing genetic resources and traditional knowledge.‘‘We are hopeful that experst from the LMMC will be able to come to a conclusion on Access and Benefit Sharing,’’ said Environment Minister A. Raja at a press conference.‘‘The megadiverse countries possess nearly 70 per cent of the global biodiversity; we should be in a position to influence the bulk of trade in bio-resources,’’ he said at the ministerial-level meeting of the LMMCS here on Thursday.The minister said that India’s endeavour was to ensure that tribals and other communities, that were caretakers of traditional knowledge, should be the ones to gain maximum benefit. ‘‘This meeting is timely as we are on the verge of beginning negotiations for international regime on Access and Benefit Sharing. A meeting to this effect will be held in Bangkok next month,’’ said Raja.Among other issues to be discussed in the ministerial-level talks include mandatory disclosure of bio-resources when taken out of a country of its origin, and penalties in the event of non-disclosure of such bio-resources.The Minister said that most of the countries that were rich in biodiversity were also the poorest and that these countries needed to guard their bio-diversity. UNDP representative Charles McNeill talked about the setting up of a ‘Knowledge and Policy Network’ to tap the expertise of different countries.Though the Convention on Biological Diversity came into effect last February, but the LMMCs have not made much headway in fair sharing of resources.The LMMCs include India, Philippines, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Venezuela.
