Negotiating Indigenous access and benefit sharing agreements in genetic resources and scientific research

In Australia, the concept of Indigenous sovereignty is recognised and exercised by Indigenous peoples through a claim of ownership within a range of Indigenous rights and interests, which includes land, the waters, gas, minerals and genetic resources. This article focuses on the significant issues facing Indigenous communities in Australia in negotiating their rights and interests to genetic resources. Indigenous peoples from various global communities continue to raise their serious concerns to international organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and before various United Nations committees on the lack of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources in relation to the minimum benefits going to Indigenous communities; either as in-kind benefits or monetary payment by potential partners or contracting parties under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The framework of the ABS will be discussed in relation to an Indigenous perspective in Australia