2nd Meeting of the Ad hoc Open-ended Inter-sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Montreal, Canada; February 4-8 2002

The second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) begins today in Montreal, Canada, and will continue until 8 February 2002. 

The Working Group will consider progress on the implementation of the work programme on Article 8(j) and will address four specific areas: an outline for a composite report on the status and trends regarding the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities; draft guidelines or recommendations for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding activities on the lands of indigenous and local communities; participatory mechanisms; and the effectiveness of existing instruments impacting the protection of traditional knowledge, particularly intellectual property rights (IPR). Delegates are expected to meet in two sub-working groups, with Sub-Working Group I (SWG-I) to consider the outline of the composite report and impact assessments and Sub-Working Group II (SWG-II) to address participatory mechanisms and the effectiveness of instruments for protecting traditional knowledge. 

The outcomes of the session will be forwarded for consideration to the CBD's sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6) to be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, from 8-19 April 2002.

ENB Summary of the WG8j-1 (HTML, PDF)
ENB Coverage of WG8j-1
The summary from the October 2001 Bonn meeting on access and benefit sharing
The summary from the November 2001 Montreal meeting of the SBSTTA
Draft report from the December 2001 meeting of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (Second Session)
ENB report of the meeting on traditional knowledge held under the CBD (Madrid, October 1997)
Experts' Panel on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ENB coverage, October 1999)
Linkages introduction to the CBD process
CBD Secretariat web site with official documents and information for participants
WIPO Secretariat