Garuwanga: forming a competent authority to protect Indigenous knowledge

The Garuwanga project is funded by a three year ARC Linkage grant commencing July 2016. The project team are working to identify, evaluate and recommend an appropriate Competent Authority legal structure so Australia can meet the requirements of the Nagoya Protocol. This Protocol calls for a Competent Authority to govern and administer a framework that ensures Indigenous communities’ informed consent is obtained for access to their traditional knowledge, and that establishes fair and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms for use of that knowledge. The team are working together, with Aboriginal Communities to address concerns over the form, independence and funding of the Authority. The major issues to be addressed are the protection and sharing of Indigenous knowledge and culture.