How Sri Lanka protects breeders' and farmers' rights and access to genetic resources through the implementation of TRIPS and the CBD

Abstract

Sri Lanka was one of the earliest countries to sign and ratify the WTO, the TRIPS Agreement, and the CBD. As a signatory to these agreements, Sri Lanka is obliged to provide effective legal mechanisms for both access to genetic resources and benefit sharing, as well as intellectual property protection of the country's plant biodiversity. However, the concern remains as to which type of protection should be introduced into Sri Lankan law. In particular, a significant challenge for Sri Lanka involves the successful implementation of a national framework which facilitates the objectives of the CBD and the requirements of the TRIPS. BSLR 6 [2003/2004] 2 61