India to turn UNESCO agenda

SCIENCE MEET: INDIA TO SEEK CHANGES IN DECLARATION

The Hindu (New Delhi) 15 June 1999 By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUN. 14. India is to press for certain major changes in the declaration drafted by UNESCO for adoption by the World Science Congress to be held at Budapest, Hungary, from June 26 to July 1.

India wants a specific mention of piracy of traditional resources, both biological and intellectual. In addition, India is to stress that Intellectual Property Rights concepts should include issues relating to traditional technologies and knowledge, especially in the areas of health and food security. It wants provisions with regard to trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPs) modified to include the principles contained in the Convention of Biodiversity with regard to indigenous knowledge and technology.

The other major amendments that are to be pressed for relate to inclusion of specific mention of the role of science in issues such as preventing gender equity, and promoting social justice, equity and job generation.

The draft declaration is pretty much silent on these subjects, which are of paramount importance for the developing countries. They are all the more crucial for countries like India, which have a rich biodiversity and a strong system of indigenous knowledge and technology in areas such as health and food.

The draft declaration, on the other hand, is in the form of a generalised statement reinforcing commitment towards issues like promotion of basic research; the role of science in the peaceful development of human civilisation and safeguarding of the world's natural resource base, biodiversity, and life support systems; and free flow of information on the possible use of new discoveries and newly developed technologies so that the ethical issues raised by them could be debated in an appropriate manner.

Concomitant to the changes in the declaration, India has also proposed to seek several changes in the draft agenda of action prepared by UNESCO for the implementation of the commitments that the declaration would call for. In particular, India would urge for inclusion of measures for development of operational systems and appropriate policy frameworks to promote universal access to information and knolwedge, revision of the international legislation on protection of IPR to include protection of indigenous knowledge, and initiation of a major thrust for dissemination of the scientific culture of experimentation, critical analysis of tradition, and acceptance of change to enable poor countries to shift from obsolete to efficient systems of production.

Under the theme 'science for the 21st century - a new commitment', the conference is expected to be attended by over 2,000 invited representatives of all stakeholders in the area of science, including inter-Governmental organisations, NGOs and the media, besides scientists and the member-States of UNESCO. The Indian delegation would be led by the Minister for Science and Technology and Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi.

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