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The Initiative has as its main objective to prevent misuse and illegal use of genetic resources and traditional knowledge, and strengthen national and regional capacities to prevent biopiracy through collaboration and networking activities. These inlcude effective implementation of policies and laws in relation to ABS and protection of TK.
Resources such as Ayahuasca, Maca, Quinoa and others, and related traditional knowledge have become part of inventions protected by patents and other IP rights without due recognition of their origin nor appropriate access. This missapropriation of resources, knowledge of indigenous peoples and seeds has become known as "biopiracy".
Since 2004, the Initiative has been working in the creation of networks and developing synergies between national actions to prevent biopiracy, and to ensure access to and use of resources and knowledge follows established rules and regulations (inlcuding the consent of communities and participation). In 2007, a second phase is initiated with a view of further consolidating institutional actions of national organizations to confront the different forms of biopiracy.
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