AUSTRALIAN DELIBERATIONS ON ACCESS TO ITS TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE BIODIVERSITY

The predominantly developed country business principle that the natura l resource is effectively free, or of very low monetary value, has bee n significantly challenged in recent years, not only through the recog nition of the accelerated rate of depletion of native forest resources and of the space and food demands of increasing populations, but also through international conventions which deal with a wide range of top ics from the rights of indigenous people to the Law of the Sea Convent ion. Australia, classified as a developed country, but located in a ge ographic region of many developing countries, has, in the past 25 year s, demonstrated particular concern for the rights of the people of tho se countries, as well as for the rights of indigenous people of Austra lia The practical international aspects were clearly exemplified in th e time, from 1985, when the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AI MS) negotiated, within the National Cancer Institute (NCI) contract, t hat collections of biological samples in developing countries would be accompanied by an agreement to provide benefits arising from field wo rk, and from any commercial product developments, to those countries. Australia, as a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (A ppendix I), continues to analyze the challenge presented by the need t o freely exchange genetic resources of common value, e.g. food crops, while insuring an appropriate reward to developing and developed count ries, should discoveries be made from their biological resources, whic h lead directly or indirectly, to high value commercial nonfood produc ts. The Prime Minister's Coordinating Committee on Science and Technol ogy established a special working group to recommend on access to Aust ralia's biodiversity. The report arising from the study, and other rel ated issues, are discussed.