How do the WIPO Treaty on Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge, Digital Sequence Information (DSI) negotiations under the CBD, and the Cali Fund fit together?

The panel will discuss Digital Sequence Information (DSI), which broadly refers to digital data derived from the genetic material of plants, animals, microorganisms, and other organisms, having become one of the most significant and rapidly evolving topics at the intersection of biodiversity, intellectual property and innovation policy.

As governments continue to develop an international framework for benefit-sharing related to DSI, important questions arise regarding its interaction with the patent system, including the recently adopted WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge and its new patent disclosure requirement.

In parallel, the establishment of the Cali Fund represents the first global financial mechanism specifically intended to facilitate benefit-sharing arising from the use of DSI. Discussions on the operationalization of this mechanism – and the broader governance of DSI – are expected to remain a central topic at CBD COP17, scheduled to take place in Armenia in October 2026.

These developments have significant implications for innovators, patent practitioners, policymakers and companies, especially those operating in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors.

Against this background, the webinar aims to provide a practical understanding of the evolving DSI landscape, bringing together its key biodiversity, benefit-sharing and intellectual property dimensions.