Australia's Clearing-House Mechanism

Cross-cutting issue 3: Traditional knowledge, innovations and practices

Article 8(j) of the CBD relates to knowledge of traditional (indigenous) and local communities regarding biological diversity and ethno-biological issues. Australia discharges its obligations under this Article through domestic legislative and policy actions to implement its national strategies for biodiversity conservation and biotechnology. Australia is in the process of introducing legal arrangements between the Australian and state governments on genetic resources (the Nationally Consistent Approach For Access to and the Utilisation of Australia's Native Genetic and Biochemical Resources).

See also Cross-cutting issue 1: Access to genetic resources and benefit sharing

Australian Government

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
• Land Management Projects, Indigenous Protected Areas Programme, and the joint management of Kakadu, Uluru - Kata Tjuta and Booderee national parks
• Links to State and Territory Indigenous land management facilitators
• The Indigenous Advisory Committee
• Indigenous Protected Area Programme
• Natural Resource Management, Indigenous Management of Natural Resources
• Office of the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations
  Includes access to the documents for
  Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation, and
  Central Agricultural and Pastoral Aboriginal Corporation

State and territory governments

• New South Wales Indigenous Fisheries Strategy

Research organisations

• Desert Knowledge CRC, linking Indigenous and local knowledge with science and education to improve desert livelihoods
• The Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
• Centre for Cross-Cultural Research
• Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research

International links

• New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development, Pacific Islands Initiatives in the area of traditional knowledge