BioTani Indonesia Foundation
Organization Name: Biotani Indonesia
Foundation
Mailing Address: Jl. Persada Raya No. 1
Menteng Dalam Jakarta 12870
Country: Indonesia
Primary Contact Person: Riza V. Tjahjadi, Mr,
Telephone Number(s): +62-21-8296545
Fax Number(s): +62-21-8296545
Email(s): biotani@rad.net.id, biotani2004a@yahoo.com
Web Site: www.biotani.org
Brief Summary of the Purpose of your
Organization
List of Organizational Programmes and
Activities:
UN agencies accredited record to PAN Indonesia/ Biotani PAN Indonesia
Foundation
· Accredited by
UNEP for COP II CBD November Jakarta Indonesia 1995
· Accredited by
FAO for ITC PGR in Leipzig Germany June 1996, and the World Food Summit: five
year later Rome Italy June 2002.
· Accredited by
UNTACD for tenth conference in Bangkok Thailand February 2000.
· Accredited by
UNFCCC Bonn for COP 6 Climate Change The Hague The Netherlands November 2000.
· Officially
invited by the Assistant DG FAO for RAP, as one of participant, included
speaker for NGOs consultation for the World Food Summit –five year later
(WSF:fyl) for Asia and Pacific region, twice: end of August 2001 Bangkok
Thailand, and (incoming) Katmandu Nepal mid of May 2002, and Accredited by FAO
for the WFS: fyl.
· Observer
to FAO negotiation on the Right of Adequate Food in the Context national Food
Security, FAO Headquarter Rome Italy, twice: October 2003, July 2004.
· A member of SEA Council for Food Security and
Fair Trade; also one of founders of this council.
· A member of the national commission on
Hazardous substances of the ministry on environment (2000-now).
· A member of the national Technical Committee
on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). April 2003.
Activities carried out
International Level
Supporting/ participating, at international
level, within CSO efforts to empower/ re-strengthen UN agencies both in
policies and conventions in making development sustainable and reforming the
narrow framework of trade.
Direct participation:
- Participated in
the UNEP for COP II Convention on Biological Diversity November
Jakarta Indonesia 1995.
- Participated in
the FAO for ITC Plant Genetic Rseources in Leipzig Germany June
1996.
- Participated in
the UNTACD for tenth conference in Bangkok Thailand February 2000.
- Participated in
the UNFCCC Bonn for COP 6 Climate Change The Hague in the
Netherlands November 2000.
- Participated in
a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Trade, Intellectual Property and
Biological Resources in Asia held in BRAC Rajendrapur Bangladesh, April
19, 2002.
PAN Indonesia via Biotani Indonesia Foundation
is also member of IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movement, whose advocate recently in series of PrepCom WSSD for Bali early June
2002.
International/Regional Level
Supporting/ participating, at regional level,
within CSO efforts to empower/ re-strengthen UN agencies both in policies and
conventions in making development sustainable and reforming narrow framework of
trade.
Direct participation:
- Participating as observer to the FAO negotiation on the Voluntary Guideline of the Right to
Adequate Food, Rome Italy, October 2003, July 2004, and
November 2006
- Team leader of Indonesia
delegation to the World Food Community meeting in Turin Italy: 20-23 October 2004, and 25-27 October 2006.
- Campaign participation Against Patenting Life Forms or struggle
to reform TRIPs-WTO within SEA region and Asia wide: series of
collaborative researches, public debates, public hearing, and street
rallies (1997-now).
- Part of steering council member of NGOs in organizing four countries
program on Alternative Pest Management: rice and vegetables
(1996-1998).
- Hosting the Fact Finding Mission on Food Crisis in Indonesia;
carried out by SEA Council on Food Security and Fair Trade, February 1999.
- Participating, to the officially invited by the Assistant DG FAO for RAP,
as one of participant, included speaker for NGOs consultation for the
World Food Summit –five year later (WSF:fyl) for Asia and Pacific region -
three times: May 1996, end of August 2001; both in Bangkok Thailand,
and Katmandu Nepal mid of May 2002.
National Level
Supporting/ participating, at national level,
within CSO efforts to empower/ re-strengthen UN agencies both in policies and
conventions in making development sustainable and reforming narrow framework of
trade.
Secretary Executive
of Jaringan Aksi Pangan Indonesia (JAP) Indonesia, a national network of
NGOs-farmers-fisherfolks pursuing right to food (11 December 2004).
Initiator of an NGO-based certification organic
farming, now, namely BioCert (2001).
One of Initiators of Jaker PO is a national
network for organic farming movements in Indonesia (1998).
On-going campaign
Promote Rights-based approaches to food
security (Right to Food) January until now (with limited or short-short-short
financial support); currently finalising report on Fact Finding of Silent
Hunger in a small island in northwest Jakarta (April-now), but a-two year
project proposal available as to contribute intervention to FAO' IWG process on
implementing Code of Conduct voluntary on Right to Adequate Food.
Campaign against Bio-piracy: the case of Shiseido (mid 1999-March 2002),
and FRIM-Malaysia-MIT, and Asahi company Japan on biopirating Eurycoma
longifolia (12 May - now).
Campaign against transgenic/genetic modified
organism (GMOs).
Investigation on Bt cotton in South Sulawesi (1997-199), together with other 3 NGOs in Jakarta filed
suit at PTUN Jakarta Timur against minister of agriculture decree on limited
releasing Bt cotton in 7 regencies in South Sulawesi (2001 –now), monitoring
possible inclusion of GMOs within food aid to Aceh’s Tsunami areas (February
2005-now), etc. just few examples.
Direct participation:
- Participate in
the national process to PrepComs WSSD since 2001 until now.
- Encouraged the
state minister on environment to set up position on patenting life forms
regime – from no position into No Patent on Life Forms - whilst advocate
parliament members as against patenting life forms/ the need reviewing
TRIPs-WTO.
- Strengthen the
state minister on environment in setting up position on POPs and PIC Convention,
also in her interim project (2002).
- Reviewed and
recommended to the Agreement on Agriculture of WTO to the government of
Indonesia, August 2000-January 2001.
- Reviewed, and
filed sue the minister-level decree on transgenic/ GMOs, as well as public
campaign on moratorium to transgenic, etc.
- Comments and
critics in developing national-level Agenda 21, with emphasis to Chapter
14: SARD.
- Campaign Demise
the Dirty Dozens pesticides.
Local Level
Supporting/ participation of farmers and
artisanal fishers, at local level, within CSO efforts to empower/ re-strengthen
UN agencies both in policies and conventions in making development sustainable
and reforming narrow framework of trade.
Direct participation:
- Promote community seed banking both on-farm trials and produced
popular education media, whilst advocate the needs of Farmers’ Rights
since mid of 1980 until now.
- Promote organic agriculture movement in most part of Indonesia
(1990-now).
- Assessing potential values and opportunity of local communities
campaigning against biopiracy.
- Promoting local initiates
of poor communities in small islands.
BioTani Indonesia and PAN Indonesia
Pesticide Action Network (PAN)
Indonesia has set up in 6 September 1982, as a national networking of citizen
coalition against the misuse of pesticides, pursue agricultural policy
reformation on food crops whilst educating the rights of consumers to consume
safe foods, and avoid farmers from the potential hazards of pesticides, threat
of transgenic foods, biotechnology, etc.
It worthy to say, there are regional
coordinating bodies. PAN Asia and the Pacific in Penang Malaysia, PAN North
America in San Francisco, PAN Europe in London, PAN Africa in Senegal, and PAN
Latin America in Peru.
Realizing goal and objectives of PAN Indonesia
has been developing two modes of actions to assess alternatives. Field trials
(on-farm) and alternative market development, as well as policy reformation
both national and international levels. Alternative pest management, seeds
exchange activities among farmers and NGOs in the country and the SEA (South
East Asia region), and alternative trade (fair trade) development, is examples.
Reforming agricultural policy on food crops, pesticide-biotechnology management
policy, alerting biosafety protocols, watching WTO, disseminating success story
of alternative farm practices, etc. are further examples
Legal entity
Specific in developing alternatives to trade
into a legal entity/body, PAN Indonesia on 17 April 1996 has set up her sister,
namely BioTani Indonesia Foundation. This foundation registered No. 42 dated 17
April 1996 at a notary, namely Ms. Lindasari Bachroem, SH. Address Jl. Cianjur
No. 8 Jakarta Pusat.
Biotani Indonesia, then popularly named as
BioTani PAN Indonesia is a foundation and classified as a non-governmental
organization. It is stated her aim/basic mission concern with the negative
impacts of chemicals and biotechnology, whilst committed to develop
participation within sustainable development as well as agriculture processes such
as to enhance people and community welfare (a translation from the Indonesia
version of a statue of Biotani Indonesia Foundation).
Founders of Biotani Indonesia Foundation
Riza VT (PAN Indonesia, Jakarta),
Gayatri (PAN Indonesia, Padang West Sumatera),
Tubagus Erwin A. PerbataKusuma (ex WWF Reg.
Rep for Leuser National Park Tapak Tuan Aceh).
Steering Council
Advisory Council
Ir. Sabastian Eliyas Saragih, Ms.
Executive Council
Chief of the Executive Council: Riza V.
Tjahjadi
Secretary: Dwi Djuang Prastyanto, SH, Atty
Treasurer: Dino, drs
Supervisory Council
Prof, Dr. Ningrum Sirait, SH, LLM
BioTani Indonesia aims to promote sustainable development by mitigating the
negative effects of chemicals and biotechnology in agricultural processes.
BioTani Indonesia is one of the founders of the Southeast Asian Council on Food
Security and Fair Trade (SEACON FS&FT; carried out Fact Finding Mission on
Food Crisis in Indonesia in February 1999),
and a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movement (IFOAM). Since 2002, BioTani Indoneia has developed a programme that
aims to promote the principles of the “Right to (Adequate) Food” in Indonesia.
BioTani Indonesia also promotes food communities of West Sumatera as displayed
within activities in the World Meeting of Food Community in Torino, Italy in 20-23
October 2004, and 27-30 October 2006.
Within the latter programme, BioTani Indonesia is responsible for
implementing a project that improves the advocacy capacity of artisanal fisher
communities on small islands to enforce their right to secured access to food
and sustainable livelihoods. In one example, in January 2004 BioTani Indonesia
had facilitated a policy dialogue between the government and the community of a
small community, namely Tunda Island, which faced food insecurity as a result
of seapiracy (this community suffered from food shortage and malnutrition in
2002) This resulted in the protection of the community, eradicating the threat
of sea piracy and thus increasing opportunity and ability toward food
security of artisanal fishers in the small island.
On a national level (2003-2004), BioTani Indonesia advocates for the
enforcement of the right to adequate food through working together with the
Constitution Commission, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Affairs and the
National Logistic Agency. At the international level, BioTani Indonesia
participates as one of observers in the development of the UN FAO “Voluntary
Guidelines on the Right to Adequate Food”, and member of The IPC Working Group
on Right to Adequate Food.
On February 2006 until end of January 2007, BioTani Indonesia working with
artisanal fishers of small islands, entitled Building Opportunity, with
right-based approach to Strengthening the capacity of poor and marginalized communities of
small islands in Indonesia, BioTani Indonesia responsible for the
coordination and conductance of advocacy, including right-based participatory
budgetting approach at kabupaten or
district level, as well as the implementation of Community-Based Conservation
Resource Management, CBCRM activities in Banten province – west part of
Jakarta.
In January 2006 BioTani Indonesia with Basa-Asia, Biodiversity
in Action for Sustainable Agriculture in Asia organised a training workshop, entitled Training for Lawyers
with Farmers' participation in South East Asia. One of results, a video news
release entitled Alternatives to Legal
Protection to Seeds and Farmers with 11 minutes duration.
BioTani Indonesia or Biotani PAN Indonesia has
been acting as lead agency for PAN Indonesia since 1996 until 2003, such as
part of survival strategy within Soeharto oppression regime: How keep reforming
policies related to both pesticides and agriculture within oppressive regime --
this kind strategy also use by several NGOs forum in Indonesia. Hard liner
advocacy work back up by soft path and legal entity. However, BioTani PAN
Indonesia representing PAN Indonesia in a legal action, with other NGOs, filed
sueing at the state administrative court against the ministry-level decree on
limited releasing transgenic/ Bt cotton, during May 2001 up till now; although
appealing has lost.
In addition, PAN Indonesia also published a
newsletter (Indonesia and English versions), namely Terompet. Indonesia version,
at least two per year since 1996. In 1993-1996 almost four per year.
In addition, PAN Indonesia also published a
newsletter (Indonesia and English versions), namely Terompet. Indonesia
version, at least two per year since 1996. In 1993-1996 almost four per year.
English version, terminated. However, between
1993 and 1997, Terompet published, at least, one per year. In 1993, 3 issued,
1994, one issued, 3 issued in 1995, two in 1996, and two in 1997. English
version ended in 1997 since economic crisis has caused mail delivery costs very
expensive.
Quantity 1,000 copies of each version.
English version (until dec. 1997): NGOs,
farmers, university, government agencies, international agencies, donor, and
embassies. coverage: 33 countries.
More additional information, please see also:
ITC, International Trade Centre, UNCTAD CNUCED, WTO OMC: Product and Market
Development, Organic Food and Beverage: World Supply and major European
Markets. Geneve. 1999. page. 82.). This, mostly served as umbrella to develop
quality in alternative farming systems, but also work in policy advocacy
arenas.
Also:
UNEP's book, entitled Cultural and Spritual of
Biodiversity in the third week of November 1999. This book has included a story
of traditional agricultural practices of Dayak Pasir of East Kalimantan. My
field staff whose never go to school has made field notes (issued in the
Terompet Double Issue Nov. 1995) and I edited for UNEP.
Funding/donor
Agriculture the only survival sector during
country economic, political and cultural turbulent. However, sustainable
agriculture multiplication efforts not so popolar in the eyes of donors,
compare to human rights issues, democratic and opening access to rights of
assembly and self-organizing for common people.
Few donors interested with mission of PAN
Indonesia, even though donors accepted by PAN Indonesia have played important
support during crucial period (Soeharto step down, May 1998 until now). Main
sources of donor from churches development agencies, and individual donations.
Average fund achieved from fund raised activities around US$ 30,000 per annum,
directed for organic farm development as well as assessment toward alternative
to trade, also publication of newsletter (mentioned above). In term of
collaboration, to provoke the Govt. of Indonesia delegation to WTO as well as
public campaigns/public debate against WTO, mostly support from local donors
fund raised by bigger scale NGOs.
However, BioTani PAN Indonesia has been
developing series of assessment
promoting farm-based basic standard quality of
organic farming in several region: West Sumatra, West Jawa, East Kalimantan,
and South Sulawesi. As being known PAN Indonesia is one of proponents promoting
both organic farming and community seed banking as well as its policy advocacy
on conservation of plant genetic resources since in the middle of 1980s.
In term regional collaboration, let's say, in
the South East Asia, PAN Indonesia is a member of the SEA Council on Food
Security and fair Trade, of which partly financially supports by Misserior
Germany. Last year the SEA Council conducted a fact-finding mission on food
crisis in Indonesia, also a regional conference on people response to food
crisis in the SEA region.
Further information about The SEA Council for
Fair Trade and Food Security members its will further attachment, if necessary.
PAN Indonesia, through BioTani PAN Indonesia
will also participate in the EXPO2000 Hannover Germany, the World Exposition in
Germany in next few months. Biotani PAN Indonesia is one of two the Indonesian
NGOs approved to participate as well as two government agencies.
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Press Statement
In commemoration the
World Biodiversity Day 22 May 2003
Although
UNEP didn't put specific theme for 2003, World Health
Organization
(WHO) report shows that 80% of the world's population
depends
on herbal medicine... Here the ways transnational companies
as well
as the government researchers
"producing"
herbal medicine.
"According to an article in
Business Week, when employees of Novo Nordisk go on holiday, they take along
soil-collection kits to gather exotic microorganisms. The father of one
scientist who worked for the company collected a soil sample from Indonesia,
which yielded an enzyme that is now widely used by soft-drink suppliers to
change
starch into sugar."
Pat Mooney, added, soils had
taken from a temple in Bali (pers.com, Nov.
1995)
STOP BIOPIRACY
Pasak Bumi (Eurycoma fongifolia)
in South East Asia
BIG INTEREST IN A SMALL
TREE, bioresearch of Eurycoma fongifolia
ARE ASEAN GOVERNMENTS
SPONSORING BIOPIRACY?
Japanese has had
patented but still applying at EPO
A Press Statement
by
Biotani Indonesia Foundation
Amongst the treasures of the
tropical forest in the South East Asian (SEA) region, is Eurycoma longifolia;
popularly known as “Pasak Bumi” in Indonesia and “Tongkat Ali” in
Malaysia. Unbranched tree or shrub up to
8m tall and 15cm diameter, or with a few upright branches, each crowned by an
umbrella-like rosette of leaves. Though
known best as the “only herbal medication that has been scientifically proven
to work as an
aphrodisiac”, its Ginseng-like
qualities make it a much sought after plant in biomedical research for
pharmaceutical products. For that very reason at one level governments in SEA
are having to deal with the over-exploitation of the plant, (due to widespread
unlicensed harvesting of Tongkat Ali in the Malaysian jungles the plant
has since been
declared a “protected plant” in Malaysia.)
On another level there is an increasing number of government research projects
as evidence of the growing interest in the herb. The more worrying is the involvement of the
industry in its commercialisation, once again raising the issue of the biopirating
of bioresources and traditional medical knowledge of
the local communities of the region.
The Forest Research Institute of
Malaysia (FRIM) in cooperation with the US Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), has an ongoing five-year Malaysia MIT Biotechnology
Partnership Programme (MMBPP), a research and development partnership to
supposedly "develop advanced technologies that command the future of
biotechnology"! Under the MMBPP there is a specific project on
“Micropropagation of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) and Chemical
Fingerprinting of Ingredients in Formulations of Tongkat Ali”. A total
of eighteen academic, industrial and government
research institutions including
six Biotechnology Cooperative Centers along with MIT collaborate in the MMBPP
with FRIM as one of the project partners. The Government of Malaysia & MIT
have together applied for patents on the “bioactive fraction of Eurycoma
longifolia”.
In Thailand the Faculty of
Science of the Mahidol University is engaged in an “Investigation and Structure
Elucidation of active compounds from Eurycoma longifolia Jack root”.
Meanwhile in Taiwan (March 2001) a study conducted to reinvestigate the
Chemical Constituents of Eurycoma longifolia. The U.S. FDA 2002 stated a
capsule of Pasak Bumi sold with brandname El Jack (to Eurycoma longifolia
as a “tree of 100 remedies,”) is represented as a drug and not a dietary
supplement, it would be subject to regulation as a drug (FDA received and filed
the notifications of Herbal Powers, Inc. on March 18,20).
Meanwhile, an Indonesian
public-listed pharmaceutical company also began conducting two-four years
lab-testing, since field collection began in early November last year. In the
meantime, Kompas daily newspaper, reported a public-listed pharmaceutical
company – PT Kimia Farma began assessing the potential of traditional herb of
East Kalimantan such as requested by the Vice Governor of the province.
Currently collection of samples from the whole area of the province is
underway, which will then be analysed in the laboratory of the company in
Bandung, West Jawa.
A Japanese company Asahi Denka
Kogyo had as early as in 1991 applied for
patents for
- Chewing gum containing extract of eurycoma longifolia jack (JP3292860)
- Chocolate containing extract of eurycoma longifolia jack (JP3292857)
It may be noted, recently, there
are four patents on Eurycoma longifolia have been applying as to get
patent granting at EPO, European Patent Office.
1. AU4796601 Bioactive fraction of eurycoma longifolia
2. WO0217946 BIOACTIVE FRACTION OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA
3. JP3292860 CHEWING GUM CONTAINING EXTRACT OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA JACK
4. JP3292857 CHOCOLATE CONTAINING EXTRACT OF EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA JACK
While it is becoming trendy for
companies to market all kinds of confectionary with Eurycoma longifolia
under the category of sex products, local herbalists have long used the herb as
an additive in small roadside drink stalls as an energy booster.
In the early 90s itself, PAN
Indonesia and Rekari have warned of Australian researchers taking out samples
of Pasak Bumi from East Kalimantan. The call of alert is now being
reiterated.
With the nature and extent of
research and commercial activities vis-à-vis Pasak Bumi coming to light,
it is imperative that governments that are either part of these activities or
facilitate private sector operations in such activities, make known all the
terms and conditions of a proposed project. NGOs & CSOs on their part would
need to make a call for transparency in such projects. It may also be recalled
that countries in the region are party to the Convention on Biological
Diversity, which mandates that States must take the “prior informed consent” of
local communities and indigenous peoples on decisions
related to access of genetic
resources. Those long campaigning against the patenting of life and life forms
would have to be particularly alert against any ensuing intellectual property
rights (IPRs) in such activities. IPRs and esp. patents could restrict access
of traditional communities to the resource that was developed by their very
know-how.
This could have far-reaching
implications on the life and livelihood of traditional practitioners and
small-scale herbal households. Another dimension of the problem is the cross
border nature of the herb in question. In such a situation there is no scope
for patents that mandate sole ownership with exclusive use by an identifiable
“inventor”. The
governments of the region
hitherto fighting patent wars against Western MNCs would necessarily need to
look within the region in what could be a potential South-South conflict over a
resource.
To light, it is imperative that
NGOs & CSOs position against patenting life forms the need for close
cooperation to attack biopiraters
The governments of ASEAN should
respectively explain such potential tension or conflict in the region
(horizontal conflict in the implementation of TRIPs harder than WTO).
Such patents application will
block/ undermining access of traditional communities, including small scale
home industries to one of their productive resources, namely "Pasak
Bumi". (see: trick of Malaysian govt., indicate positive correlation?)
So, NGOs/ CSOs defending Art
8.j, and indigenous sustainable livehood should immediately insisted European
Patent office (EPO) to cancel patent application of Pasak Bumi.
21 May 2003
For more on the subject please contact:
Riza V Tjahjadi
BioTani Indonesia Foundation/ PAN Indonesia
Jl. Persada Raya No. 1 Menteng
Dalam
Jakarta 12870
Indonesia
Tele-fax: +62-21-8296545
Email: biotani@rad.net.id
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No Patent No Beauty, No Patent No Cure,
No Patent No Food,
They claimed,
We fight for Farmers' Rights
and
Community Rights
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"Kein Patent auf Leben!" ("No Patents on
Life!")
also
Pharmacosmetic is coming..!
News clipping:
Farmers' Rights, IPR, biopiracy; a selected English
version news clipping (1995-2001)
Traditional community needs govt
protection
An
environmental activist is calling on the government to move immediately to
provide protection for the intellectual property rights of traditional
communities before they are patented by foreign corporations abroad.
Riza
V.T, of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Indonesia, said there is an
immediate need to protect the intellectual property rights of plants and other
living organisms that have been grown and developed by indigenous people.
PAN
Indonesia is part of coalition called PAN International.
Riza said that intellectual property rights regarding agriculture are
actually covered by the Law on Farming Systems enacted in 1992. Three years
later, however, the government has not issued the regulations to enforce the
legislation.
The
government, he noted, appears to be indecisive about the protection of these
rights. "The attitude of the government just goes back and forth". He
cited several examples of living organisms found or developed by traditional
communities in Indonesia that should be protected, including: a variety of rice
in Pangalengan, west Java; a variety of rice in Pasir District in East
Kalimantan which is still being grown by farmers there in addition to the seeds
provided by the government; and a coffee bean strain, which can be grown
without the aid of fertilizer, founded by farmers in Pandegelang West Java.
Riza said the failure to register these strains could allow foreign
corporations to claim the patents and register them abroad.
The
government's attitude before the enactment of the law, he recalled, was clearly
in favor of protecting the rights of traditional communities and not the big
corporations, particularly multinationals.
"In 1991, Syarifudin Baharsjah, who was then junior minister of
agriculture, even said that corporations patenting agricultural technology
would troublesome for the patens," Riza said.
Syarifudin is now the Minister of
Agriculture.
Riza said an increasing resistence is found in developing countries to
foreign corporations registering patent rights for living organisms found and
developed in their countries.
Because of the lack of clarity in Indonesian regulations, Riza fears
that particular Australian pharmaceutical company, for example, might apply for
the patent rights to the pasak bumi, a plant that is believed to be an aphrodisiac
and that the company is currently studying in Kalimantan.
The
need to protect the intellectual property rights of traditional communities
surfaced at a recent national congress on biology. Some suggested that a
separate, more specific law be drafted.
This issue will be one of the central themes at the second international
convention of Biodiversity, which Indonesia will host in November.
The
meeting will debate community intellectual property right as versus
intellectual property rights, as well as access to genetic resources and
farmers' rights, Riza said.
He
expressed concern with Indonesia's ability to defend its interests at the
international meeting, which excludes non-governmental organizations, because
Indonesia hardly has any "Environmental diplomats."
"We only have one or two people, including Emil Salim," he
said referring to the former environmental minister. (The Jakarta Post, 3
November 1995)