The second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Inter-Sessional Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) took place in Montreal, Canada, from 4-8 February 2002.

The meeting was hosted by the Canadian Government and had approximately 300 participants from 79 countries, indigenous and local communities and international and non-governmental organizations.
Over the course of the week-long meeting, the Working Group considered: an outline for the composite report on the status and trends regarding the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities; draft guidelines/recommendations for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed on or impacting the lands of indigenous and local communities; participatory mechanisms; and the effectiveness of existing instruments impacting the protection of traditional knowledge, particularly intellectual property rights (IPR). Delegates adopted six recommendations on the preceding items, as well as on progress in the integration of relevant tasks of the work programme on Article 8(j) and related provisions into the CBD’s thematic programmes and on progress in implementation of the priority tasks of the work programme on Article 8(j). The Earth Negotiations Bulletin report outlining these discussions in detail can be found at: http://enb.iisd.org/linkages/biodiv/wg8j-2/