NATURE|Vol 450|20/27 December 2007 NEWS

CLIMATE CONFERENCE Find all the news from Bali, plus archived material on the IPCC. www.nature.com/news/ specials/bali/index.html footnote reference to the IPCC’s fourth assess- ment report, without mention of the numerical range on reductions. Many feel that this con- Q&A: Siti Fadilah Supari cession amounts to sidelining the science, and has been hit by more human deaths from the H5N1 bird-flu virus than risks narrowing the window of opportunity to any other country, yet it refuses to share its virus samples with the World Health avert dangerous climate change. Organization (WHO). Declan Butler talks to Indonesia’s health minister. Amid all the drama, the real blows were reserved for a grand finale on Saturday, when Why is Indonesia agreement clearly setting out worn-out delegates wrangled over one remain- withholding samples that such rights. We already share ing issue — whether rich nations should provide could track the virus’s our virus-sequence data with “verifiable, measurable and reportable” techno- evolution and help produce the Global Initiative on Sharing logical aid to developing countries. Seemingly a vaccine? Data (GISAID), inspired by Al Gore’s speech on Thursday urg- Indonesia is open to a body created last year. I NAM/AFP/GETTY H. D. ing delegates to sidestep the “obstructionist” international collaboration consider GISAID has established United States, and following much booing and but this must be fair, a fair and transparent mechanism hissing at the US delegation, Kevin Conrad, transparent and equitable. for regulating genetic-sequencing Papua New Guinea’s ambassador for climate The WHO’s Global Influenza databases because it includes a change, stated: “If you cannot lead, leave it to the Surveillance Network material transfer agreement. rest of us. Get out of the way.” In an eleventh- system is obviously unfair hour turnaround, the United States conceded. and opaque. Samples shared become the Why is Indonesia not as successful as its “Bali has delivered what it needed to do,” property of the WHO collaborating centres neighbours at controlling H5N1? says Yvo de Boer, the executive secretary of in rich countries, where they are used to Vietnam, as a centralized socialist country, the UN convention on climate change, calling generate research papers, patents and to can get high compliance on national the agreement “ambitious, transparent, and commercialize vaccines. But the developing policies and so has succeeded, for example, flexible”. Perhaps most importantly, it has suc- countries that supply the samples do not in implementing rapid culling of birds. ceeded in bringing what may still be the world’s share in these benefits. In the event of a Thailand’s monarchy is well respected, largest emitter back to the table. But whether , we also risk having no access to resulting again in good compliance. the ‘flexibility’ that was required will ultimately vaccines, or having to buy them at prices In contrast, Indonesia is in transition provide a means of manoeuvring out of real we cannot afford, despite the fact that the towards a decentralized democracy after emissions reductions remains to be seen. ■ vaccines were developed using our samples. three decades of authoritarian national Olive Heffernan The above mechanisms can lead to a rule. We are still on a learning curve, and See Editorial, page 1127. vicious cycle, in which poor countries compliance of the relatively independent become poorer because they have diseases, regional authorities with national policies and industrialized countries become richer is often poor. Indonesia is made up of at the expense of poor countries. As a more than 17,000 islands, which again consequence, there will be some people complicates compliance. who will create diseases and take advantage The cultures are also different. Birds play of the situation. This is a form of neo- an important role in Indonesian culture colonialism and neo-capitalism. — pet singing birds are considered signs THE SEATTLE TIMES THE SEATTLE of respectable households, for example. In What would it take to end the deadlock? rural communities, backyard farming is a Earlier this year, the WHO adopted a major income source, and has been a key resolution accepting the need to ensure element in improving nutrition. fairer sharing of benefits to help developed But bear in mind that Indonesia has a countries prepare for and respond to a population of more than 200 million, so pandemic. Last month in Geneva we one needs to keep in perspective the total agreed concrete steps towards this goal. of 113 cases of H5N1 — I’d argue that we’ve The first is that the WHO will develop a been fairly successful in controlling the tracking system for viruses we send abroad. disease. The second recognizes that sharing must respect national laws, which means that But scientists say that Indonesia is still Indonesia will be free to assert its rights not doing enough. over samples. We are willing to share It is the international scientific community viruses for research purposes but if a that delays the acquisition of critical commercial company wants to create a knowledge. If they wish to have rapid vaccine from those samples, then it must results, why don’t they come to Indonesia negotiate with Indonesia, which has rights and work with our scientists here? We have over the samples. the necessary facilities, such as biosafety But the key outstanding concession level-3 secure labs and good Indonesian Indonesia demands is that all shared virus scientists. That would also put an end to samples be subject to a material transfer disputes over virus sharing. ■

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