Southern governments have a stake in developing the convention on biological diversity. Public and private research institutions also have a stake. Most public research institutions in African countries do research in genetic resources, mainly to increase crop production in the interest of farmers within their own countries. Private research institutions mainly have commercial interests. They are not very keen on the effects that these have on farmers rights.
Universities also have a stake because they do research in various genetic resources.
The other stakeholders are public and civil societies, NGOs are increasingly actively participating in the TRIPs - biodiversity debate. Action-Aid Ethiopia, who I am working with, has currently started a very big campaign in this debate, basically making an effort to ensure that the international trade does not affect poor peoples right to adequate and safe food. There are farmers who are going to be directly affected by the provisions of intellectual property rights over life-forms. We will also be affected by this. Prices of food crops will rise, genetically modified organisms which may affect our health and safety would be imported by African countries and so forth.