yuksom is one of the most biodiversity rich areas of India. The communities of the district, located at the foothills of Mount Kanchenjunga in Sikkim, have painstakingly protected their natural heritage for generations. Ironically, their future, intrinsically linked to the biodiversity, will be decided thousands of kilometres away in Kuala Lumpur, where members of the Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd) will convene for the seventh Conference of Parties (cop-7) from February 9-20, 2004. They will negotiate on an international system that will give countries (with technology to exploit genetic resources) access to the resources of areas like Yuksom. The system will also set out a framework to determine the benefits that should be accrued to the local communities.

"The access and benefit sharing regime is the most important issue for India and we will be pushing for a legally-binding instrument,' reveals a source from India's Union ministry of environment and forests (moef). The European Union and the us are expected to block any proposals that would