The third meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related provisions (Working Group on Article 8(j)) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will convene from 8-12 December 2003 at the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization, in Montreal, Canada. It will be held back-to-back with the second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing.    

The Working Group on Article 8(j) was established by Decision IV/9 of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to provide advice to the COP and, where relevant, to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice on the implementation of CBD Article 8(j) (traditional knowledge) and related provisions. More specifically, the Working Group on Article 8(j), composed of CBD Parties and representatives from indigenous and local communities, is mandated to:

• provide advice on the application and development of legal and other appropriate forms of protection for the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity;
  

• develop a programme of work;
  

• identify objectives and activities falling within the scope of the CBD, and recommend priorities, including equitable benefit-sharing; and 
  

• provide advice on measures to strengthen cooperation at the international level among indigenous and local communities.

At its third meeting, the Working Group on Article 8(j) will review progress made in the implementation of the work programme on Article 8(j) and related provisions, and the integration of relevant tasks of the work programme into the thematic areas of the CBD. The Working Group will also consider a composite report on the status and trends regarding the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities, and draft guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact on, sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities. Other topics for discussion include participatory and communication mechanisms for the effective involvement of indigenous and local communities in matters related to the objectives of Article 8(j), and elements for a sui generis system for the protection of indigenous and local communities' knowledge, innovations and practices.

The recommendations adopted by the Working Group will be forwarded to COP-7, to be held from 9-20 February 2004, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

Return to this site on 8 December for daily WWW Coverage of the Third Meeting of the Ad hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity , including text, audio and photos.

Links

ENB Coverage and Summary (HTML, PDF, TEXT) of the First Meeting of the  Ad Hoc Open-ended Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the convention on Biological Diversity
ENB Coverage and Summary (HTML, PDF, TEXT) of the Second Meeting of the  Ad Hoc Open-ended Intersessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the convention on Biological Diversity
ENB Coverage and Summary (HTML, PDF, TEXT) of CBD SBSTTA-9
ENB coverage of the First Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-Sharing
ENB archives of CBD meetings
CBD web site
CBD Article 8(j) official meeting documents 
SD summary and coverage of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress.
SD summary of the Norway/UN Conference on Technology Transfer and Capacity Building.  
First Meeting of the CGRFA acting as Interim Committee for the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
World Intellectual Property Organization
UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues