Innovative approaches will need to be adapted to deal with the issue of protecting fishermen’s livelihoods even as negotiations are on for a framework on sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas, Dr Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, told the 11th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the Convention on Bioloigical Diversity (CBD) on 16 October 2012 at Hyderabad.
In recent years, the PM said,there has been concern that public knowledge may become restricted in its use because of the application of the modern intellectual property system. India has tried a unique approach to protection of traditional knowledge by establishing a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library.
“We believe that the treasure trove of traditional knowledge should be used for the benefit of all humankind rather than for private profit,” he said.
“Our approach to protecting and promoting biodiversity has been guided by the belief that all three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, namely, conservation, sustainable use and sharing of benefits from the utilization of genetic resources, should receive adequate and equal focus,” he said.
Calling for new models of “inclusive conservation”, India’s PM, added: “We will have to adopt similarly innovative approaches to deal with the issue of protecting fishermen’s livelihoods even as we negotiate a framework on sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas.”
Launching the launch “Hyderabad Pledge”, the PM announced that the Indian government has decided to earmark a sum of US$50 mn during India’s presidency of COP to strengthen the institutional mechanism for biodiversity conservation in India.