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Rutzolijirisaxik Voluntary Guidelines for the Repatriation of Traditional Knowledge Relevant for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity

“There is today a growing appreciation of the value of traditional knowledge and its contribution to addressing global problems, such as poverty, climate change, sustainable use, and conservation. Thus, recovering traditional knowledge is a global priority. Many government departments, universities, museums, herbaria, botanical and zoological gardens and other entities hold, store or house collections containing recorded or documented traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities, which remains relevant to conservation and sustainable use, and important for cultural and knowledge restoration.

 

The Convention on Biological Diversity, in its Article 17 (Exchange of information), requires Parties to facilitate the exchange of information, from all publicly available sources, relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, including exchange of results of technical, scientific and socioeconomic research as well as information on training and surveying programmes, specialized knowledge, indigenous and traditional knowledge, and, where feasible, the repatriation of information. Furthermore, Article 18 of the Convention requires Parties, among other things, to promote technical and scientific cooperation as well as, in accordance with national legislation and policies, to encourage and develop methods of cooperation for the development and use of technologies, including indigenous andtraditional technologies.” (Foreword)

 

“The objective of the Rutzolijirisaxik Voluntary Guidelines is to facilitate the repatriation of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, including related or complementary information, in accordance with Article 8(j) and Article 17, paragraph 2, of the Convention, in order to facilitate the recovery of traditional knowledge relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and without limiting or restricting its ongoing use and access, unless under mutually agreed terms.” (p.1)