ABSTRACT

Codes of ethics and research guidelines are an important element in the process of formalizing biodiversity (including traditional knowledge) research relationships. In conjunction with institutional policies and research agreements, they offer researchers an opportunity to make explicit the ethical issues embedded in their research, and to articulate standards for research best practices. Biodiversity research is often conducted in developing countries, where the bulk of biodiversity is held and where people live in closer proximity to, and depend upon, biodiversity to a greater extent for their survival. As a result, biodiversity research raises a number of issues that have not customarily been dealt with in large umbrella professional research organizations. Fields such as anthropology, ecology and botany have addressed ethical issues. However, for the most part they have not yet incorporated obligations to protect the ‘knowledge, innovations and practices’ of indigenous and local communities as prescribed under the CBD and issues raised by the growing recognition of indigenous peoples and local-community environmental, human and cultural rights associated with biodiversity.