Intellectual property and biotechnology: trade interests of developing countries

Biotechnology has the potential to provide the answers to some of the developing world’s most intractable problems. There is scope for developing countries to interpret the provisions of the WTO TRIPS Agreement on biotechnology at different levels, as evidenced by differing interpretations in the developed world. Equally, however, demands of developing countries on biodiversity-related issues can be countered through the ambiguities in the Convention on Biological Diversity. Instead of attempting to amend TRIPS, developing countries should aim to obtain access to the new technologies, at reasonable terms, by collaboration and not confrontation with their owners, with the help of multilateral developmental institutions.