mc alister ecn_2012
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Dr Erica McAlisterDepartment of Life Sciences
Accessions In Entomology –regulations and impacts on collections at the Natural History Museum, London
Fieldwork
• Collecting must be down in accordance to local and international law – most important consideration
Access to global Biodiversity
In 1993 this all changed.
Under the Convention on Biological Diversity:
• “States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources…”
• i.e. biodiversity of a country belongs to that country, and non-nationals have no rights to it
One Objective of the CBD is on ‘Access and Benefit-sharing’ (ABS):
“the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources”
• Included in many COP (Conference of the Parties) Decisions
• Formalised through ‘Bonn Guidelines’ (2002)
New material
• Staff obtain permits/ Prior Informed Consent (PIC) and have determined Mutually Agreed Terms (MAT)
• Museum can honour agreements made
• Museum can manage Traditional knowledge as well as specimens
Visa’s
Permits
• Collecting / Export / Import
Traditional Knowledge (TK)
• Knowledge, innovations and practices of Indigenous and Local Communities (ILCs) related to genetic resources
• PIC of ILCs should be sought whenever TK associated with genetic resources is to be collected
• Users of genetic resources should negotiate MAT with ILCs to encourage the equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of traditional knowledge
– This may be a separate agreement
• Many countries lack a national framework
Collections Enhancement forms
In the process of developing…
• Long term advisory structure
• Guidance documentation
• Awareness raising/training
Policies and procedures
1. Best practice and international agreements
2. Data management
3. Advice and support
4. External policy engagement
“Recently I discussed this with a member of the XXXXXXX High Commission in London. His advice was to wrap insects in ones underpants in a suitcase and say nothing!”