McGuire, Patrick E.

Contracts relating to scientific/technical development are effective only where they are enforceable or valid under relevant law, can be practically implemented by the Parties, and address matters arising from the relevant scientific/technical issues and practices. Negotiators are often hampered by their lack of knowledge of contractual law (and special legal concerns in the country in which users are located), and of the bio-technological techniques used to derive new molecules and genes or genetic or biochemical formulae from biological samples.

The book aims to address the lack of information on the experiences of others by providing a comparative analysis of national access and benefit-sharing laws and policies in the 41 Pacific Rim countries that signed the CBD. It provides key insights on the main characteristics of selected access and benefit-sharing (ABS) policies and laws, their development, and implementation process. It contains a detailed comparative analysis of existing laws and policies.