What's New
Professors Donna Craig and Michael Jeffery invited to attend UNU/SPREP meeting of PacificIsland Countries workshop in Cairns.
Professors Donna Craig and Michael Jeffery were invited as observers to a meeting of Pacific Island Countries and workshop on access & benefit sharing, traditional knowledge and customary law. Jointly sponsored by the United-Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (with whom MU-CEL has signed an MOU) and the United Nations South Pacific Environment Program (SPREP), the workshop brought together representatives of several Pacific Island countries for three days of discussions concerning recent developments in the protection of traditional knowledge both within and outside of the framework Convention on Biological Diversity.
Ms Aroha te Pareake Mead, a member of the IUCN’s governing Council responsible for Indigenous issues and a Co-chair of the Call of the Earth’s Circle attended as an observer and made a presentation. Ms Mead, a senior lecturer in Maori business at the University of Wellington , NZ also holds a position with MU-CEL as its Research Fellow. The meeting in Cairns provided an opportunity for Donna, Michael and Aroha to discuss future research initiatives and opportunities. Ms Henrietta Marrie Program Officer for Northern Australia and Melanesia of the Christensen Fund was also present for part of the workshop and further discussions about research on Indigenous languages and traditional knowledge relating to biodiversity.