Investigation on the Utilization of Genetic Resources

Support for international negotiations on the use of genetic resources and DSI (Digital Sequence Information)

Global discussions on how to share the benefits associated with the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI) of genetic resources has been accelerating since the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2022.

Roles of the OECC

At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the CBD (CBD-COP15) in 2022, the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources and DSI was decided. Since then, discussions on methods to allocate the benefits associated with the use of DSI have been accelerating internationally. The OECC supports international negotiations related to genetic resources and DSI by participating and recording the conference discussions and by investigating recent studies and cases related to the use of genetic resources including DSI, given its extensive experience in global environmental research and in documenting the discussions at international conferences.

Our Business

Investigation on the Global status of DSI

As part of our investigation on international trends, we analyzed the opinions on DSI submitted to the CBD Secretariat by various countries and stakeholders and the papers related to genetic resources and DSI on academic platforms. We also interviewed companies in the food, seed, and agrochemical industries as well as experts from international organizations in order to investigate concerns and potential implications in the upcoming discussions and negotiations.

Participation and Recording at International Conferences

We participated in the CBD-DSI Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group (CBD-WGDSI-01) held in Geneva, Switzerland in November 2023 and in the Tenth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR-GB10) held in Rome, Italy, and compiled the minutes.

Projects we were engaged in:

• CBD-DSI Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group
  Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd.int)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd.int)
  Tenth Session of the Governing Body | International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)