CORE FUND FOR ASIAN BIO-TECH CONSORTIUM
A Core-fund is to
be created for the proposed Asian Bio-technology consortium. Member
countries will contribute a minimum fixed amount annually towards
the fund. It will also strive for contribution by international
development agencies. The first meeting of the Apex Governing
Body of the Consortium is planned to be held in China soon, when
matters pertaining to the modalities of setting up of the Fund,
membership and other issues will be taken up.
The Asia Co-operation
Dialogue (ACD) launched in June 2002 in Thailand, chose India
as the prime mover for initiating regional co-operation among
the member countries in Biotechnology. The Department of Biotechnology
(DBT) of the Ministry of Science and Technology was elected as
the nodal Agency for preparing a concept paper on the establishment
of the consortium.
To discuss the
concept paper prepared by India, a two-day meeting was held in
New Delhi last week, which was attended by 13 countries of the
total 22 ACD member nations. The meeting also held four technical
sessions in areas of Asian Regional Needs and Priorities, Capacity
Building-issues and options, Regional Bio-Safety Considerations
and IPR cum technology access, transfer and commercialisation.
Apart from agreeing
on a number of recommendations, the meeting decided to set up
an ACD Bio-tech Consortium Secretariat and create a web-site on
bio-safety for sharing of information among member-countries.
A common strategy is also to be worked out on labelling and traceability
of products. A representative from the Embassy of Japan in New
Delhi announced at the meeting that Tokyo will soon take a decision
on joining the consortium.
The recommendations
also included establishment of a mechanism to facilitate easy
transfer of technology, technology assessment and commercialisation
capabilities as well as setting up of a bank for the deposit of
micro-organisms of the region.
