DECLARATION OF CARACAS The undersigned organizations, gathered in Caracas for the realization of the WORKSHOP AND COURSE MICROBIAL BIODIVERSITY AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HUMID TROPICS (November 25th - December 13th), agree herewith in the following declaration:    
1) Biodiversity and Biotechnology are issues of great importance and relevance for all the participant countries, in the search of the sustainable development. 2) With the purpose to reach the integration and exchange of knowledge and expertise between the European countries and the Pan-Amazonian ones, propose that AMAZONIAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES UNAMAZ and AMAZONIA NETWORK establish "Amazonia Net Work (ANW) for Biodiversity and Biotechnology". 3) We recognize Amazonia Net Work and UNAMAZ to serve as central managing organizations to develop strategies for the study and appropriate use of Biodiversity (microorganisms, flora and fauna), its relationships with human communities, and all their interactions in the amazonian ecosystems. 4) The main purpose of this Network is to reveal and discover all the potential of the amazonian biodiversity serving as basis to the sustainable development, and to promote exchange of experiences and personnel training for capacity building in the Pan Amazonian countries. Also, the Network will serve as collector and disseminator of information related to biodiversity and biotechnology.    
5) All discovering of new strains and species, substances and biotechnological products that can be yield added value, obtained in the framework of the Network, must be developed following guidelines for a fair and equitable sharing of the commercial and scientific benefits between the countries and institutions that provides genetic resources and those that provides the technological "know-how" to use them, as postulated by the Convention of Biological Diversity, the Acuerdo de Cartagena and national laws. 6) To recognize the "VENEZUELAN CENTER FOR CULTURE COLLECTIONS" (CVCM) as the focal point of research and ex situ conservation of microbial diversity to support the Network activities. All strains and species of microorganisms discovered or collected in the framework of the Network, shall be registered and stored in the collections of the Venezuelan Center for Culture Collections, accordingly to the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC).    
7) To recognize to the "THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF AMAZONIAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES (UNAMAZ) AND "THE AMAZONAS PROGRAM OF THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF VENEZUELA" as the initial points of open the network to other institutions and universities from Pan-amazonian countries. 8) To recognize the "CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES" (CIMAR) as the organizer of the next event related to this network, to be held in Bolivia in 2003. ASOCIACION DE UNIVERSIDADES AMAZONICAS PROGRAMA AMAZONAS - UCV FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS - UCV COORDINACIÓN DE EXTENSIÓN INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGÍA EXPERIMENTAL - UCV INSTITUTO DE CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA CENTRO VENEZOLANO DE COLECCIONES DE MICROORGANISMOS AMAZONIA NETWORK CIMAR - CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y |
