Name: José Pedro de Oliveira Costa
Organisation: Brazilian Ministry of the Environment
Position: Secretary of Biodiversity and Forests
José Pedro de Oliveira Costa is the secretary of biodiversity and forests at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. He holds a degree in architecture and urban planning from the Mackenzie Presbyterian University in in São Paulo.
The secretary of biodiversity and forests is responsible for dealing with biosecurity matters; the UN Convention on Biological Diversity; genetic diversity; Brazilian species threatened with extinction; Brazilian vegetation; forests; and special projects.
Through his role as secretary, de Oliveira Costa presides over the Genetic Heritage Management Council (CGEN), which was responsible for implementing the access to genetic resources law.
The law, enacted last year, reduces bureaucracy and simplifies the procedure for accessing genetic heritage. Industries affected by this law include biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food and agricultural.
CGEN is responsible for research projects related to genetic heritage and technological development.
According to a release by the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, the new legal framework seeks to simplify and accelerate the process for accessing Brazil’s genetic resources.
"Through his role as secretary, de Oliveira Costa presides over the Genetic Heritage Management Council."
The genetic resources law provides that researchers, research and development institutions and national companies may access such resources, as long as the access is registered in an electronic database.