Publication
Revealing private interests of non-state actor coalitions in negotiating access and benefit sharing
This article investigates how temporary coalitions of non-state actors, such as Indigenous groups, civil society, scientific institutions, and industries, engage in international negotiations on environmental issues, using the case of benefit-sharing from digital sequence information (DSI) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
- Author
- Arthur van Buitenen, Arco Timmermans & Gerard Breeman
- Date
- 28 April 2025
- Links
- Read the full article here
The authors particularly focus on benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information (DSI). Using a public–private interests lens, the study analyses formal submissions made between 2016 and 2021 to understand how these coalitions represent and balance competing motivations.
The research reveals that even coalitions traditionally seen as advocating public interests, like those led by scientific actors, also assert private interests tied to their expertise. Conversely, business-led coalitions articulate broad public benefits, while still advancing more subtly framed private goals. This duality challenges conventional assumptions about who speaks for the public good and shows that both scientific and industry groups combine public-benefit arguments with private stakes.
By highlighting how these short-term alliances influence international environmental negotiations through both moral and strategic appeals, the article deepens our understanding of the complex roles non-state actors play in shaping global policy and justice-based governance frameworks.