Bringing access and benefit sharing into the digital age

Abstract

Reading and writing DNA is now possible with an unprecedented speed and ease. Until recently, the global political and legal instruments regulating genetic resources globally exclusively focused on access to physical genetic resources without considering possible consequences of their digitization. Following significant tensions in the various international forums addressing access and benefit sharing of genetic resources, we advocate here a new Multi-stakeholder Committee on the Governance of Digital Sequence Information, dedicated to solving governance issues associated with digitization of genetic resources. This body will constitute a transversal and inclusive tool that will facilitate long-term coherence in all policy sectors dealing with genetic resources.