 |
The Karen Commitment
to Pastoralist/Indigenous Livestock Keepers’ Rights
|
Leaders of traditional livestock and pastoral
communities, government representatives, civil society organizations with
a focus on livestock genetic resources, academics and livestock
researchers met in Karen, Kenya on 27–30 October, 2003. They issued issued
the following statement.
(See the bottom of the page for a printable version and
to download the full text of the conference proceedings.)
|
We call on governments and relevant
international bodies to commit themselves to the formal recognition
of the historical and current contribution of pastoralists and
pastoralism to food and livelihood security, environmental services
and domestic animal diversity.
We also demand that they recognise the contributions
of pastoralists and other livestock keepers, over millennia, to the
conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources
for food and agriculture including associated species and the genes
they contain (AnGRFA).
Furthermore, we insist that there is international
legally-binding recognition of inalienable Livestock Keepers’
Rights and the Rights of their communities to:
 |
continue to use their knowledge concerning the
conservation and sustainable use of AnGRFA, without fears of its
appropriation |
|
participate democratically in making decisions
on matters related to the conservation and sustainable use of
AnGRFA |
|
access, save, use, exchange, sell their AnGRFA,
unrestricted by Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and
[modification through] genetic engineering technologies that we
believe will disrupt the integrity of these genetic resources |
|
have their breeds recognised as products of
their communities and Indigenous Knowledge and therefore remain
in the public domain |
|
benefit equitably from the use of AnGRFA in
their own communities and by others. |
We call on the Food and Agriculture Organisation
of the UN (FAO) to start negotiating such a legally-binding
agreement, without delay, ensuring that it will be in harmony with
the Convention on Biological Diversity.
We further call on the FAO to develop a Global
Plan for the conservation and sustainable use of AnGRFA by
pastoralists, other livestock keeping communities and relevant
public institutions.
Finally, we insist that AnGRFA be excluded from Intellectual
Property Rights claims and that there should be a moratorium on
the release of genetically-modified livestock until bio-safety is
proven, in accordance with the Precautionary Principle. We call on
relevant institutions concerned with food, agriculture, trade,
intellectual property and animal research to provide assurances and
such legal protection as is necessary to sustain the free flow and
integrity of AnGRFA, vital to global food security and the
environment. |
|
Click on the links below to download the text. You will need Adobe
Acrobat to read the downloaded files. Click here
to get Acrobat.
|
|
79 kb
504 kb