The Nation

SCIENCE Technology and Environment Minister Yingphan Manasikarn said yesterday he will forward the UN Convention on Biodiversity to the Cabinet on Tuesday, adding that the longer the government takes to ratify the agreement, the greater the damage on the country's natural resources.

The convention aims to conserve the planet's biological diversity, ensure the sustainable use of its components and to promote the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.

The minister said his previous attempts to seek Cabinet approval had been opposed by the ministry's senior officials, including the permanent secretary, on the grounds that Thailand would lose out if it signed the accord.

''I reached an understanding with them after I explained the necessity of signing the agreement," he said.

A source in the Thai Traditional Medical Institute said it would agree with the minister only if new legislation protecting local intellectual property rights in the area of traditional medicine is passed.

The government must also come up with other concrete measures to support local knowledge and skills, he said.

The source said before ratification, the government should ensure that it can prevent developed countries, such as Japan and the United States who have not signed the accord, from taking advantage of Thailand's resources.

According to the source, the US is interfering with Thailand's attempt to issue a law protecting local intellectual property rights.

He said the Department of Intellectual Property received a letter from the US asking to see a draft of the new legislation and suggesting that it be scrapped as it might contradict Thailand's existing Intellectual Property Right law.

''But we believe the US opposes it because a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies would lose benefits because of the legislation," he said.

He said as Thailand has no laws protecting the country's genetic resources and knowledge, foreign researchers can study Thai traditional medicine and then legally turn their new-found knowledge into a business venture.

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