NAGOYA — The Monday start of the COP10 conference was marked by strong differences over how to ensure fair access to genetic resources and how to demarcate terrestrial and marine areas for protection under a new environmental protocol.
The two-week 10th conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, involving delegates from more than 190 countries, is expected to adopt new, internationally binding rules for access to biological resources, in particular plants and other organisms, and the knowledge associated with them, that form the basis of modern medicine and other products.
In addition, the conference is expected to establish specific targets for conserving land and marine areas threatened by biodiversity loss.