RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/243/Add.1
27 February 2001
(01-0975)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY BUILDING:  INFORMATION FROM OTHER
INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
SECRETARIAT OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Addendum
The present document reproduces the information on technology capacity building which has
been received from the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity by means of a
communication dated 22 February 2001.
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1. This note was prepared by the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity
in response to the request made by the WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights ("TRIPS") at its meeting of 27-30 November 2000. It provides an overview of
technology capacity building activities under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The note first
introduces briefly the provisions of the Convention relating to technology capacity building and the
consideration of this issue by the Conference of  the Parties to the Convention. It then presents
summary information regarding the relevant activities that have been undertaken by various
stakeholders of the Convention, in particular, the Secretariat, the Financial Mechanism and Parties.
A. TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY BUILDING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
2. The Convention on Biological Diversity, in Article 1, provides that the objectives of theConvention are the conservation of biological divers ity, the sustainable use of its components and the
fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, "including
by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies".
Technology capacity building has been considered on e of the critical instruments to attain the
objectives of the Convention.
3. A  number of articles of the Convention refer to technology capacity building.  According to
Article 16 of the Convention , technologies include biotechnology and are those that "are relevant to
the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity or make use of genetic resources and do
not cause significant damage to the environment". The other provisions of the Convention addressing
technology capacity building can be found in Articles 12, 16, 18 and 19. In general, technologycapacity building refers to the development and strengthening of national technology capacity by
means of human resource development, including scientific and technical education and training,
exchange of experts, joint research and joint ventures, and institution building as well as enabling
policy improvements.IP/C/W/243/Add.1
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4. The Convention also addresses the role of various stakeholders in technology capacity
building, such as the role of governments in form ulating enabling legislative, administrative or policy
measures for transfer of technology, in establishing capacity building programmes in measures for the
identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and in promoting technical and
scientific co-operation for capacity building. It calls for the private sector to facilitate access to, jointdevelopment and transfer of technology for the be nefit of both governmental institutions and the
private sector of developing countries. Developed country Parties are committed to provide financial
resources through the financial mechanism and other channels to facilitate access to and transfer of
technology to developing countries under fair and most  favorable terms, including on concessional
and preferential terms. Article 18 establishes a clearing-house mechanism for promoting and
facilitating  technical and scientific co-operation.
5. The Conference of the Parties, the supreme body of the Convention, has considered ways and
means to promote and facilitate access to, and transfer and development of technology at its first three
meetings, and adopted an approach to integrate consideration of technology capacity building within
thematic and cross-cutting themes of the Convention.  Measures relating to technology capacity
building are included in the programmes of work on forest, marine and coastal, inland waters, dry andsub-humid land and agricultural biological diversity, and in such decisions as sustainable use, access
to genetic resources and benefit sharing, traditional knowledge, taxonomy, alien species, ex-situ
conservation, public education and awareness. For instance, capacity building for, including
acquisition of, remote-sensing technologies has been considered critical for monitoring and
assessment of biological diversity in remote areas.
6. Technology capacity building is also required in the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety to the
Convention. Article 22 of the Protocol provides that " [The] Parties shall cooperate in the
development and/or strengthening of human resources and institutional capacities in biosafety…
including biotechnology to the extent that it is required for biosafety... including through existingglobal, regional, subregional and national institutions and organizations and, as appropriate, through
facilitating private sector involvement."  Cooperation in capacity building shall  include scientific and
technical training in the proper and save management of biotechnology, and in the use of risk
assessment and risk management for biosafety, and the enhancement of technological and institutional
capacities in biosafety. " Article 28 requests the financial mechanism of the Convention and other
funding institutions to provide financial support to these capacity building needs.
7. The Conference of the Parties noted  "[The] need for capacity building for the purposes of the
clearing-house mechanism in developing countries, including training on information systems
technologies that will allow developing countries to take advantage of the recent developments in
electronic communication, including the internet." It also noted that technical and scientific
cooperation on all aspects of biological diversity, including taxonomy and transfer of technologyplays a crucial part in ensuring the capacity of the clearing-house mechanism to play an important role
in the implementation of the Convention. The Confer ence of the Parties specifically requested the
financial mechanism of the Convention to support  capacity building activities in the implementation
of the clearing-house mechanism, and to provide increased support to establish and strengthen
biodiversity information systems such as training, technology and process related to the collection,organization, maintenance and updating of data and information and its communication to users
through the clearing-house mechanism.
8. Adequacy, predictability and time flow of funds has been considered essential for all
technology capacity building activities.  The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties requestedthe financial mechanism to support projects which promote access to, transfer of and cooperation for
joint development of technology.  An array of guidance on capacity building has been provided by the
Conference of the Parties to the financial mechanism, including in the area of planning, agricultural
biodiversity, drylands, forest, inland waters, marine and coastal biological diversity, ecosystem
approach, access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, biodiversity planning, alien species,IP/C/W/243/Add.1
Page 3
traditional knowledge, incentive measures, targeted research, public awareness and education,
clearing-house mechanism, national reports, etc.. It is generally understood that these capacity
building measures encompass technology capacity building as a key element.
B. RESPONSES TO TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY BUILDING REQUIREMENTS
9. The Convention on Biological Diversity is largely a framework instrument, which requires
the involvement of a number of economic sectors. A wide range of stakeholders have been involved
in the development and implementation of the provisions of the Convention, and thus in the design
and implementation of technology capacity building activities and programmes. The following will
focus on the technology capacity building activities that  have been undertaken thus far pursuant to the
relevant provisions of the Convention.
Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
10. During the pilot phase of the clearing-house mechanism (1996-1998), the Secretariat
convened four regional workshops to evaluate national capacities and review experience in scientific
and technical cooperation in support of the objectives of the Convention. These workshops werefunded through the core budget of the Secretariat.
11. The fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, which was held in May 2000, requested
the Secretariat to convene regional workshops to support capacity building for clearing-house
mechanism activities, training and awareness, with  a focus on cooperation in biodiversity information
for the implementation and management of the clearing-house mechanism at the national,
subregional, bio-geographical and regional levels.  The activities are to be funded through voluntary
contributions.
Financial mechanism (Global Environment Facility) and other channels of financing
12. In response to the requests from the Conference of the Parties, the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) - as the financial mechanism of the Convention - provides financial support to a wide
range of technology capacity building activities through enabling activity, regular projects and short-
term response measures. The GEF has a specific funding modality for clearing-house mechanism
where funds are available for acquisition of information equipments and training of users.
13. Technology capacity building activities have been mainly funded by the GEF through in-situ
conservation projects, i.e., establishment and management of protected areas. This mainly involves
the application of "hard technologies" such as aerial survey equipment, Geographic information
Systems (GIS), satellite technologies, fencing e quipment, and "soft technologies" in the form of
know-how, taxonomy, management routines, policy analysis, and behavioural patterns and attitudesrelated to biodiversity science and technology. The GEF-funded projects are largely country-driven,
but the acquisition of the equipment, knowledge and skills comes mainly from developed countries
through international consultancy. Over one billion US dollars have been committed by the GEF to
support project activities in the field of biological diversity. The GEF has also approved a capacity
building project to support the development of biosafety framework at country level.
14. Given the decentralized and uncoordinated nature of technology capacity building under the
Convention, the GEF has undertaken to develop a Strategy and GEF-specific Action Plan for capacity
building for the global environment. It has identifi ed the capacity need for assessment, generation of
scientific information and knowledge, integration of biodiversity considerations into national scienceand technology policies, strengthening of science research bodies and institutions, and specialised
technology skills related to biodiversity.IP/C/W/243/Add.1
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15. A number of funding institutions, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental
organizations have also been involved in supporting technology capacity building under the
Convention. Technology capacity building in biological  diversity has been frequently associated with
their regular biodiversity projects or other development cooperation projects of multilateral and
regional funding institutions. Such capacity building is often tailored to meet the specific needs offunded projects. Several inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations either
have a programme in biodiversity or are specialized in the conservation and sustainable use of
biological diversity. They often provide critical scientific advisory services or act as intermediary to
implement technology capacity building projects.
Developed country Parties
16. According to the national reports submitted by developed country Parties, technology
capacity building activities have been mainly promoted through their bilateral development assistance
programmes. Public research or scientific institutions in these countries often play a major role in
facilitating international assistance to build the scientific capacities of developing countries, for
instance, providing training for research and technologies and for specific conservation andsustainable use operations.
17. A growing number of private sector firms from developed countries are engaging in various
forms of technology partnerships with developing  countries, for instance by training developing
country scientists in the application of new technologies for the conservation and utilisation of geneticresources, by exchanging information on new scientific and technological advances, by providing
various technology components to developing country partner institutions and by engaging in joint
research and development. Such technology capacity building activities are increasingly found in the
field of biosafety and biotechnology.
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