Edward Elgar Publishing Governance of Genetic Resources: A Guide to Navigating the Complex Global Landscape

Governance of Genetic Resources maps out a landscape of the international governance of genetic resources. It shows what governance efforts currently exist, what is missing, which areas are problematic, and outlines what the international community should be aiming for in regard to its future development and implementation. The book begins by exploring the historical development of international genetic resources governance and considers why the area has become so significant and complex. It goes on to analyse the current situation and develop recommendations on what governance efforts should be achieving for the future. This timely study will be of interest to students and academics concerned with the management of genetic resources and its connection to issues such as intellectual property rights, biodiversity conservation and food security. It will appeal strongly to academic researchers in the fields of international relations, international law and global governance, environmental science, development studies, and the biosciences. The book will also appeal to policy-makers and practitioners, particularly those working in or with international organisations involved in genetic resources governance and to national decision makers seeking information on the international context for genetic resources management. Review This highly informative volume, organised around a clear structure, will guide newcomers as well as specialists through the labyrinth of what looks like, at first sight, a very technical and complicated issue. While building in details on the case of the genetic resources institutional complex, already covered by former studies because of its distinctive features, this book provides the reader with updated information and interesting insights for its understanding and management. --Amandine Orsini, Université Saint-Louis, Brussels, Belgium This is a valuable overview of the landscape of genetic resources governance at the international level identifying key resources, issues, rules, actors and processes. The work s key contribution is to identify interactions and connections between the different governance elements and then to systematically consider some of the cross cutting governance issues. This analysis is very clear and a welcome challenge to some of the existing orthodoxy. --Charles Lawson, Griffith Law School, Australia About the Author Catherine Rhodes, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and Biosecurity Research Initiative, University of Cambridge, UK