Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
9.3 Legal and policy aspects
A number of international instruments govern activities related to marine genetic resources,
including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Con-
vention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and intellectual property rights instruments. This
patchwork of instruments has rendered policy discussions in various forums relatively com-
plex and subjected consideration of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biod-
iversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction to what may be called 'forum shopping'.
