Colombia is leading an initiative at the 16th UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) for an international fund to ensure that the benefits derived from genetic resources are shared with their countries of origin. The proposal, introduced by Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, aims to address gaps in regulation and equity in the global exploitation of genetic data.
The proposal, which gained traction during a strategic panel at COP16, emphasizes the need for stronger international frameworks to protect countries rich in biodiversity. As President of COP16, Minister Muhamad argued that many companies using genetic information to develop commercial products, such as pharmaceuticals or agricultural innovations, do not attribute recognition to the ecosystems where unique genetic materials are sourced. Muhamad said this practice deprives countries of their rightful share of benefits and undermines efforts to conserve biodiversity.
“We are talking about genetic material from animals and plants that is sequenced and stored in digital databases. However, the companies that utilize these resources no longer know where they come from, and they are not paying the benefits that correspond to the source countries,” said Muhamad.
As the second-most biodiverse nation on the planet, Colombia is calling for the creation of an international fund that would redistribute the benefits obtained from genetic data. The aim is to foster greater equity among communities that promote biodiversity protection and hold vast reserves of genetic resources, particularly in the Amazon and other endangered biospheres.
Muhamad highlighted the importance of sovereignty over genetic information derived from fauna and flora. President Gustavo Petro, Minister of Science and Technology Yesenia Olaya Requene, and Minister Muhamad confirmed that Colombia is working on using cyber technologies to protect the country’s genetic databases.
“With the Minister of Science and Technology and President Petro, we are working on a national data cloud project to ensure that we have sovereignty over our data because currently, our country’s data is leaking out. Others are using it without us even knowing,” Muhamad stated during her speech on Tuesday at the Genetic Resources Strategic Panel.
The concept of storing digital biodiversity has emerged as a key theme at the COP16 summit. Many countries, like Colombia, currently lack robust infrastructure to control and manage genetic data, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by international corporations.
The initiative presented by the Colombian government has garnered support from experts in genetic research and biodiversity conservation. Silvia Restrepo, director of the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, praised Colombia’s efforts to regulate the use of genetic resources. She stressed that commercial actors who profit from biodiversity should contribute to the countries that provide these invaluable materials.
“What we are looking to achieve is the creation of a fund that will protect biodiversity in countries rich in genetic resources,” said Restrepo. “This would ensure that the economic benefits derived from the use of these resources, for example, in the development of medicines or agricultural technologies, are fairly shared with the countries of origin.”
Restrepo also discussed the importance of Digital Sequence Information (DSI), a relatively new concept that refers to the digital representation of genetic data. She explained that DSI has become central to scientific research and innovation, but there is a growing need to ensure that the countries providing the genetic material receive a fair share of the benefits.
“The challenge is finding a balance between open access to genetic data, which fosters scientific advancement, and the need for countries of origin to benefit economically from the use of their resources,” she said.
Balancing Innovation and Conservation
The discussions on genetic resources at COP16 reflect a broader global debate over how to balance innovation with conservation. The push for more equitable sharing of benefits aligns with the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol, an international agreement that regulates access to genetic resources and promotes the fair sharing of benefits. However, many countries, including Colombia, argue that current regulations do not go far enough.
“International treaties exist, but we need stronger national regulations to ensure that the benefits reach local communities,” emphasized Muhamad. She underscored the need for Colombia to develop its own frameworks to protect biodiversity while benefiting from genetic resources.
The establishment of an international fund is seen as a potential solution to bridge this regulatory gap. If implemented, the fund could help countries like Colombia not only safeguard their biodiversity but also benefit economically from it, providing resources for local communities, many of them indigenous, who use ancestral knowledge in conservation projects.
The debate over where genetic data is harvested, especially on indigeous land, is expected to play a key role in future international biodiversity negotiations. Many countries are now calling for stronger safeguards and clearer frameworks to ensure that the exploitation of genetic resources is done ethically and that indigenous communities are adequately compensated for their environmental property rights.
As COP16 continues in the departmental capital of Valle del Cauca, Colombia’s proposal may set a precedent for how nations address the complex relationship between innovation, genetic resources, and the protection of biodiversity. The establishment of an international fund, if agreed upon, would mark a significant shift in how global genetic resources are managed and shared among communities that have shown a commitment to protecting their unique ecosystems. For large corporations, especially those in big pharma, the establishment of a fund could signal a new era of accountability in who can profit from conservation genomics.
