In a historic step toward the global recognition and protection of Indigenous knowledge systems, Blessings of the Forest (BOTF), our partners in the preservation and defense of the Iboga bioculture in Gabon, took the floor at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to demand legally binding protections for ancestral wisdom.

At the 50th Session of WIPO’s International committee on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge, held in Geneva, Switzerland, BOTF brought forth voices of Indigenous communities long excluded from decisions that deeply affect their biocultures. The session was convened to finalize negotiations for a potential international treaty that would recognize and protect traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions under international law.

Speaking on behalf of Indigenous custodians of sacred knowledge, BOTF represented by Yann Guignon (President) and Georges Gassita (Secretary General) emphasized the urgent need for protections that go beyond symbolic recognition. They advocate for an international legal framework that ensures the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of Indigenous peoples before their knowledge or genetic resources are accessed or used. BOTF’s intervention highlighted the growing threat of biopiracy, the unauthorized extraction and commercialization of Indigenous knowledge and resources, calling for binding agreements that uphold Indigenous sovereignty and prioritize the rights of communities over corporate interests.

Photograph by: Gabon Review. (In this edited photograph we see BOTF team on a field mission in St Martin des Apinji in the South of Gabon, superimposed over the WIPO setting backdrop.)

This moment marks a significant shift in the global conversation. While protection of traditional knowledge has been debated for decades at WIPO, progress has been slow and often obstructed by countries prioritizing commercial interests over Indigenous rights. BOTF’s participation brings much needed momentum and visibility to the issue, grounding the conversation in lived realities from the frontlines of biocultural conservation.

The delegation of BOTF underscore the historical injustices faced by communities in Gabon and across Africa, where sacred plants like Iboga are increasingly commodified and extracted without respect for their spiritual and ecological significance. Despite being the guardians of these traditions local communities often see little or no benefit from the global interest in their heritage, economically, culturally or legally.

By calling for a robust international treaty, BOTF is asking for more protection from exploitation. They are demanding a paradigm shift that honors the deep relationship between people, land, plants, animals and memory. They are advocating for a future where ancestral knowledge is respected as a living system of wisdom, not a resource to be mined.

The intervention at WIPO is part of a broader movement to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems into international frameworks that shape the future of biodiversity, climate policy, and intellectual property. However, as BOTF noted, the road ahead is complex. Many legal systems still do not recognize the collective and intergenerational nature of Indigenous knowledge. Intellectual property laws are often designed around western concepts of ownership and individual innovation, and those frameworks are fundamentally incompatible with the ways knowledge is held and transmitted in Indigenous cultures. How can international laws recognize and protect knowledge that is spiritual, relational and inseparable from the land and its bioculture? How can communities retain control over their knowledge in a world where commercialization moves faster than regulation? And how can WIPO ensure Indigenous peoples are not just consulted but are co-creators of the legal structures that will govern their futures?

Despite these questions the presence of BOTF at the WIPO negotiations is a powerful reminder that Indigenous voices are rising and being heard. This advocacy sends the message that ancestral knowledge is a vital living force that must be protected, respected and upheld on its own terms.

The outcomes of the WIPO negotiations are still unfolding but this intervention marks a milestone in a long ongoing struggle. It is a call to action for all of us getting behind Indigenous communities to listen deeply, to support legal frameworks that reflect Indigenous realities and to protect the knowledge that protects life.

If you want to read the original article in French you can find it here: Propriété intellectuelle : BOTF Gabon milite pour un traité international sur les savoirs ancestraux