A group of 87 indigenous peoples organizations, NGOs and networks signed last July in Geneva, Switzerland, an indigenous peoples' statement on the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) of the WTO Agreement.
The signatories strongly criticise the Western logics underlying TRIPS in the WTO Agreements, since they establish monopoly rights to individuals and transnationals on life forms and processes, to the detriment of the indigenous resources and cultures. They warn about the various negative impacts of the TRIPS Agreement on their lives, and make proposals for the revision of its Article 27.3(b).
Source: BIO-IPR, GRAIN, 24/9/99,