57. The representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said that, with regard to access to genetic resources, he wished to reaffirm the sovereignty of States over their biological resources, which meant that the authority to determine access to genetic resources lied with national governments and was subject to their national legislation. He also reaffirmed his position on traditional resources and the need not to include such resources within the traditional purview of IP; on the contrary, the system should be used to protect these resources and keep them under the ownership of their historical users, without the possibility of them being patented. This was how the system was understood by the Venezuelan constituent, and developed and established in Venezuela's national legislation.
