Resource information
This report details the proceedings of a workshop for indigenous livestock breeding communities that took place in Nairobi, Kenya, October 2003. The workshop sought to raise awareness among indigenous livestock keepers on their rights over animal genetic resources.The workshop showcased the significance of traditional knowledge and social systems for upholding farm animal genetic diversity. The papers presented at the workshop emphasised the need to safe-guard the rights of indigenous livestock communities, as laid down by the Convention on Biological Diversity.The workshop participants agreed upon an official statement, known as the The Karen Commitment, which highlighted the contribution of pastoralists and other livestock keepers to developing and conserving animal genetic resources.Main points of the Karen commitment include:governments and relevant international bodies should to commit themselves to the formal recognition of the historical and current contribution of pastoralists and pastoralism to food and livelihood security, environmental services and domestic animal diversitygovernments should recognise the contributions of pastoralists and other livestock keepers, in the conservation and sustainable use of animal genetic resources for food and agriculturethe establishment of international legally-binding recognition of inalienable livestock keepers’ rights and the rights of their communitiesthe FAO should develop a global plan for the conservation and sustainable use of associated species and the genes they contain by pastoralists, other livestock keeping communities and relevant public institutions.[adapted from author]
