By abandoning a strict vision of conservation so as to integrate a development objective, the Convention on Biological Diversity has profoundly changed the global governance of biological resources. However, a question remains: how can we co-ordinate the relationships between actors using, controlling and managing natural resources with a focus on fairness?
The workshop was organized in four sessions:
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1. Natural resource management projects now include property rights and contracts. However, the specificities of biodiversity (notably the public good aspect) underscore the inadequacy of market instruments and the need to implement non-market measures. How can we balance these two types of measures?
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2. The governance of biodiversity suffers from a lack of legitimacy (see the conflict between intellectual property rights and the protection of traditional knowledge). Since biological resources are more widely regarded as a multitude of local heritage than as a common heritage, governance must be based on a network involving local, national and global institutions and on local knowledge associated with science.
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3. The scientific community has a role to play within this framework. Despite the uncertainties and controversies, scientific expertise should be used by decision makers and be a part of the decision-making process.
- 4. The private sector is undeniably another major actor. It could be linked through a general partnership to support and facilitate fair transactions between actors operating at different scales, to promote the socio-economic development of local communities and encourage more conservation.
