UN Nature Summit Approves Fund for Genetic Data Profits Distribution

• A UN nature summit in Colombia approved a fund to distribute profits from digitally sequenced genetic data.

• The data, mainly from poor countries, is used in medicines and cosmetics, generating billions for developers.

• The fund was a contentious issue at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

• After a two-week negotiation, member countries agreed on the creation of a “Cali Fund” for equitable sharing of DSI benefits.

• Users who commercially benefit from DSI should contribute a proportion of their profits or revenue to the global fund.