The Scientific and Practical Workshop “Preservation of Traditional Knowledge and Practices Associated with Genetic Resources: Strategies, Tactics, Key Actors” was held on February 26, 2019 at the Republican Centre for the State Ecological Expertise and Advanced Training of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection within the framework of the International Technical Assistance Project “Strengthening of human resources, legal frameworks and institutional capacities to implement the Nagoya Protocol in the Republic of Belarus” of March 30, 2018 No. 2/18/000874.
The participants discussed the ongoing situation in the field of the preservation of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage in general, the country’s strategic policy in education and culture in the context of Sustainable Development Goals, problems and prospects with regard to the integration of local communities into international programs on the preservation of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, noting the importance of ecotourism development contributing to public awareness-raising of the measures being taken to preserve cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and practices.
17 people took part in the workshop, including project experts, researchers in the field of natural science and humanities, representatives of the Ministry of Education, the Economic Institute of the Ministry of Economy, an expert on Sustainable Development Goals, as well as NGOs representatives collaborating with local communities.
