The Alliance of Small Island States : Intellectual Property, Cultural Heritage, and Climate Change

This article will consider the role of AOSIS in debates over intellectual property, the environment, and climate change. It will consider questions of technology transfer, climate justice, and intergenerational equity. This article will conclude that there is a need for AOSIS to bolster its position on intellectual property, technology transfer, access to genetic resources, and Indigenous Knowledge. Moreover, the group could seek to benefit from the development of international networks – such as the Technology Mechanism established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992, and the Global Indigenous Network announced by Australia at the Rio 20 discussions on sustainable development. As discussed by Peter Drahos (2012), there is potential in establishing development Indigenous networks, and engaging in the adaptive management of intellectual property