From CBD to TRIPS: Normative Tensions in Protecting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge under International Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/up.v7i2.53927Keywords:
traditional knowledge;, indigenous peoples;, international law.Abstract
Background: The transition from the ecological justice framework of the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol to the market-driven logic of the WTO–TRIPS regime has deepened longstanding normative tensions within international law. By privileging proprietary rights and commercial value, the intellectual property system frequently marginalizes the collective, intergenerational, and culturally embedded rights of Indigenous peoples over genetic resources and traditional knowledge, thereby reinforcing structural inequalities between knowledge holders in the Global South and users of such resources in the Global North. Methodology: This research utilizes a normative approach focusing on the analysis of legal norms, principles, and regulations. Objectives: The article seeks to investigate the development of international legal norms relating to the protection of Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and to assess the challenges of ensuring its effective protection under international law. Findings: Traditional knowledge is communal, intergenerational, and deeply rooted in Indigenous cultures, yet it remains insufficiently recognized within intellectual property frameworks that favor individual ownership and exclusivity. This article argues that the protection gap surrounding traditional knowledge reflects a broader problem of structural injustice in international law. Consequently, a more inclusive and responsive global legal framework is needed to ensure the effective protection of Indigenous peoples’ collective rights and traditional knowledge. Originality/Novelty: This article examines the evolution of international legal norms governing the protection of Indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and analyzes the normative tensions between biodiversity law, intellectual property law, and Indigenous peoples’ collective rights within the international legal order.
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