Diplomatic Conference on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge was Held in Geneva

The Diplomatic Conference on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge was held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference consisted of several rounds of negotiations, after which the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), including with the support of Georgia, adopted the historic Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. According to the agreement, it was established that if a claimed invention in a patent application is based on genetic resources, applicants shall be required to disclose in the application the country of origin or source of the genetic resources. On behalf of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia – “Sakpatenti”, Ms. Nino Chikovani, Deputy Chairperson of Sakpatenti, participated in the negotiations held within the Conference.

Genetic resources are genetic material of actual or potential value that are contained in, for example, medicinal plants, agricultural crops and animal breeds. Although genetic resources proper cannot be protected directly as intellectual property, inventions developed using them can be protected through a patent. Some genetic resources are associated with traditional knowledge which is passed down from generation to generation by indigenous peoples as well as local communities. This knowledge is often used in scientific research.

It is noteworthy that negotiations for the Treaty began at WIPO in 2001 and the discussions were notable for multiculturalism, including participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.