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This should be relevent to all of us, particularly as it is in the name of
university research that this totally unethical neocolonialist agreement
has been forged.


>
>BIO-IPR docserver				* bilingual edition *
>________________________________________________________
>
>TITULO/TITLE: El Ministerio del Ambiente autorizÛ a universidad suiza a usar
>recursos geneticos de las Tierras Yanomami / Ministry of Environment
>authorises Swiss university to use genetic resources from Yanomami lands
>AUTOR/AUTHOR: Mirey Tabuas
>PUBLICACION/PUBLICATION: El Nacional, Caracas [Venezuela]
>FECHA/DATE: 26 de enero de 1999 / 26 January 1999
>
>NOTE: An unofficial English translation follows the original.
>________________________________________________________
>
>
>
>El Nacional, Caracas  - Martes 26 de Enero de 1999
>
>EL MINISTERIO DEL AMBIENTE AUTORIZO A UNIVERSIDAD SUIZA A USAR RECURSOS
>GENETICOS DE LAS TIERRAS YANOMAMI
>
>No solicitaron permiso a indÌgenas
>
>Mireya Tabuas
>
>El Ministerio del Ambiente celebrÛ este mes un contrato con la Universidad
>de Zurich, Suiza, para permitirle el acceso a los recursos genÈticos en el
>·rea yanomami. El coordinador de la OrganizaciÛn de Pueblos IndÌgenas del
>Estado Amazonas (Orpia), Guillermo Guevara, denunciÛ que dicho compromiso
>fue contraÌdo por este despacho sin la debida notificaciÛn a las poblaciones
>yanomamis que habitan en la zona y que ser·n las principales afectadas por
>la decisiÛn.
>
>El documento tiene por objeto autorizar a la universidad europea para que
>investigue sobre los recursos genÈticos vegetales y "componentes
>intangibles", que son los conocimientos ancestrales de las comunidades
>yanomamis. En dicho contrato se le da a los grupos indÌgenas que colaboren
>con la investigaciÛn 30% del costo del contrato. El Ministerio del Ambiente
>recibir· 20% por derechos de regalÌas, patente y comercializaciÛn de lo que
>allÌ se encuentre.
>
>Guevara recalcÛ que la OrganizaciÛn de Pueblos IndÌgenas de Amazonas no
>autoriza este convenio porque considera que es un saqueo m·s de sus tierras,
>esta vez aprovech·ndose de su biodiversidad y los conocimientos ancestrales
>de las comunidades, que no pueden ser patentados, seg™n lo que se ha
>acordado entre las poblaciones de la Cuenca AmazÛnica. Guevara manifestÛ que
>el convenio se basa en la DecisiÛn 391 del Acuerdo de Cartagena, que no ha
>sido reglamentada por nuestra legislaciÛn.
>
>-øEn quÈ los afecta como comunidad?
>
>-Nos afecta porque piensan patentar nuestros conocimientos y no est·n claros
>los beneficios que nos otorgar·. Esa informaciÛn es propiedad colectiva de
>nuestros pueblos, no de una empresa extranjera.
>
>Lo que no le parece claro a Guevara es el hecho de que no se tome en cuenta
>para ning™n trato a los yanomamis. Vale seÒalar que no existe legislaciÛn
>sobre este tema, puesto que en nuestro paÌs la Ley de Diversidad BiolÛgica
>fue aprobada por el Congreso el aÒo pasado, pero el presidente Rafael
>Caldera la devolviÛ a la ProcuradurÌa (no al Congreso).
>
>Como documentos de soporte del contrato de acceso a los recursos genÈticos,
>la DirecciÛn de Asuntos IndÌgenas del Ministerio de EducaciÛn concediÛ un
>permiso, firmado por Horacio Biord, en su condiciÛn de director encargado.
>Avalan tambiÈn el convenio el Herbario de la Universidad Central de
>
>Venezuela y la Escuela de AntropologÌa de la misma instituciÛn. Una
>autorizaciÛn tambiÈn fue rubricada por la directora de VegetaciÛn del Marnr,
>Delfina RodrÌguez. Mediante dicha autorizaciÛn se permite colectar las
>plantas medicinales en un ·rea muy especÌfica de Amazonas, bajo condiciones
>muy claras que obligan a depositar muestras en los herbarios del paÌs.
>
>En ninguno de estos documentos anexos al contrato se habla de autorizar la
>posibilidad de registrar patentes de comercio e industrializaciÛn de los
>descubrimientos basados en la farmacopea yanomami, sin embargo en el
>contrato final sÌ se especifica este punto como v·lido.
>
>La directora de VegetaciÛn del Marnr, Delfina RodrÌguez, refiriÛ que la
>instituciÛn suiza ha cumplido con todos los requisitos para que le sea
>aprobado el convenio. Le extraÒa que la comunidad indÌgena reclame cuando
>"el contrato recoge una cantidad de beneficios, incluso econÛmicos, para los
>yanomamis".
>
>
>__________________
>
>El Nacional, Caracas [Venezuela]
>26 January 1999
>
>
>MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AUTHORISES SWISS UNIVERSITY
>TO USE GENETIC RESOURCES FROM YANOMAMI LANDS
>
>No permission sought from the indigenous peoples
>
>by Mireya Tabuas
>
>The Ministry of Environment has signed a contract this month with the
>University of Zurich, Switzerland, granting access to the genetic resources
>in Yanomami territory. The Coordinator of the Organisation of Indigenous
>Peoples of the Amazonas State (ORPIA), Guillermo Guevara, denounced the
>contract because it was signed without notifying the Yanomami people who
>live in the area and will be affected by the decision.
>
>The document authorises the university to conduct research on plant genetic
>resources in the area, including their "intangible components" such as
>traditional knowledge of the Yanomami about them. In the contract, it is
>stipulated that the indigenous groups which collaborate in the research
>process will receive 30% of the cost of the contract. The Ministry of
>Environment will get 20% though rights to royalties, patents and commercial
>benefits derived from the outcome of the research.
>
>Guevara stressed that the Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of Amazonas
>does not approve the contract because it is yet another form of plunder of
>their lands, this time exploiting biodiversity and the traditional knowledge
>of the communities. Neither of these can be patented, according to an
>agreement among the peoples of the Amazon Basin. Guevara said that the
>contract is based on Decision 391 of the Cartagena Agreement, which has not
>been regulated through national legislation.
>
>
>How does this affect the Yanomami as a community?
>
>"It affects us because they're planning to patent our knowledge, and the
>benefits that we are supposed to get from this are not clear. This
>knowledge, this information, is the collective property of our peoples, not
>the property of a foreign company."
>
>What is clear to Guevara is that the contract does not take account of the
>Yanomami peoples. It is important to bear in mind that there is no national
>legislation on this issue, given that the Law on Biological Diversity was
>approved by Congress last year but President Rafael Caldera sent it back to
>the Solicitor General's office, not to Congress.
>
>As a supporting document for the access contract, the Directorate for
>Indigenous Affairs of the Ministry of Education had issued a permit signed
>by Horacio Biord as Acting Director. The contract also leans on an agreement
>between the Central University of Venezuela and its own School of
>Anthropology. Another permit that forms part of the contract involves the
>Director of Plants of Marnr, Delfina Rodriguez. This permit allows
>collecting of medicinal plants in a very specific area of Amazonas under
>very clear conditions which require samples to be deposited in a national
>herbarium.
>
>None of these documents annexed to the contract mention any possibility of
>filing patents or commercialising the results of the discoveries based on
>Yanomami pharmacopoeia. However, the final contract does stipulate that both
>commercialisation and patenting should be anticipated and will be valid.
>
>The Director of Plants of Marnr, Delfina Rodriguez, insists that the Swiss
>institution has complied with all the requirements necessary for the
>approval of the contract. She is surprised that the communities are
>complaining, since "The contract identifies a certain amount of benefits,
>even economic ones, that will go to the Yanomami."
>

David.

David Wood
PhD Student ('The Rural Peace Dividend')
Department of Agricultural Economics and Food Marketing
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU

Tel: 0191 222 5305




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