Promoting an Inclusive Approach to Benefit Sharing: Expanding the Scope of the CBD? - Benefit Sharing - page 148

Chapter 7
Promoting an Inclusive Approach to Benefit
Sharing: Expanding the Scope of the CBD?
Sachin Chaturvedi, Sara Crager, Miltos Ladikas, Vasantha Muthuswami,
Yeyang Su and Huanming Yang
Abstract The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a major international
agreement to ensure the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of
various components of biological diversity, and fair and equitable access and ben-
efit sharing of advances arising from the use of related genetic resources. The CBD
excludes human genetic resources. In light of the rapid advances in biotechnology,
genetic resources are increasingly being utilised by different types of users and in
different industries. This usage is not confined to plants, animals or micro-organ-
isms but includes human genetic resources and sometimes a mix of such resources.
In the absence of any international agreement, various national governments are
framing their own rules and guidelines. This patchwork of regulation may even-
tually impede global research efforts. This chapter argues that the CBD is quali-
fied to be the central agency at the global level for the advance of broader benefit
sharing frameworks. By implication, the scope of the CBD should be expanded to
include human genetic resources.
S. Chaturvedi ( * )
RIS, Zone IV-B, Fourth Floor, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003, India
e-mail: [e-mail]
S. Crager
1803 Malcolm Ave #7, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
e-mail: [e-mail]
M. Ladikas
UCLAN, Centre for Professional Ethics, Brook 317, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
e-mail: [e-mail]
V. Muthuswami
A, 101, Manchester Regent, Avinashi Road, P.N.Palayam, Coimbatore 641037, Tamil Nadu,
India
e-mail: [e-mail]
Y. Su · H. Yang
BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen 518083, China
e-mail: [e-mail]