Tony Bennett, Differing diversities - Council of Europe

Preserving cultural diversity throughthe preservation of biological diversity:indigenous peoples, local communities,and the role of digital technologiesResearch position paper 7By Rosemary J. CoombeFaculty of Law and Munk Centre for International StudiesUniversity of TorontoIntroductionIn international policy circles it is increasingly recognised that the conservation ofbiological diversity (or biodiversity) is integrally related to the preservation of culturaldiversity and that indigenous peoples and local communities hold traditionalecological knowledge of great potential value and importance in global efforts toachieve sustainable development objectives. Such peoples and their knowledgesare endangered. This paper will consider global efforts to value and preserve traditionalecological knowledges, the use and significance of digital technologies infacilitating the preservation of this cultural diversity, and point to issues thatrequire further research.After introducing the policy issues, the paper will consider the obligations ofAustria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UnitedKingdom (hereinafter the Council Parties) under the Convention on BiologicalDiversity (hereinafter the CBD), and initiatives taken by the Council Parties toprotect traditional ecological knowledge both domestically and internationally; italso addresses some important regional initiatives and provides examples of academicand non-governmental organisation (NGO) activities. Given the importancethat the CBD attaches to intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the enormous bodyof literature that addresses the propriety of IPRs as a means of protecting traditionalenvironmental knowledge, the paper then considers the role of IPRs withrespect to the preservation of cultural diversity 1 and proposals to amend IPRs tomake them less conducive to the misappropriation of cultural knowledge. Thepaper next addresses indigenous uses of the Internet, with particular attention tocultural revitalisation efforts. More general usages of digital technology to assistin the protection of biodiversity and indigenous knowledge are then surveyed withemphasis upon the potential cultural impacts of these activities on indigenous peoplesand local communities. Areas of recommended research are identified at theend of each section.169