Basel, Switzerland,
26 August 2003 --
At the
25th anniversary meeting of the EFB, Ismail Serageldin delivered a rousing
keynote speech under the title of Biotechnology on a North-South gradient. Serageldin emphasized that while
biotechnology did not constitute a magic bullet for the woes of the developing
world, it was one more tool in the toolkit that scientists needed to harness the
best in Science d technology to tackle the problems of the poor and the
environment in the developing countries.
He specifically cited five areas where he contrasted how the views were
radically different between the north and the south: health, food, agriculture,
industry and the environment. He
went on to discuss the need for different IPR policies and warned that medicines
would be the first flashpoint of disagreements if that were not done. The speech was very well received, and
despite its critical and sometimes harsh notes, received an extended
ovation.
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