Fair international partnerships

The IZW has active collaborations worldwide (see Cooperation & Networks). These partnerships are manifold in nature, reflecting the diversity of people and projects at the IZW. Among our international collaborations, many are based in Regions of the Global Majority [1] with less developed scientific infrastructures. For example, IZW employees collaborate closely with researchers from Africa e.g. (Namibia, Tanzania) and Southeast Asia (e.g. Viet Nam and Malaysia) in long-term research projects. In these projects, we strive to engage a diversity of local people, including scientists, members of local communities and other parties interested or affected by the topic (stakeholders). This collaborative approach allows us to identify conservation and research relevant issues together, conceptualise and implement relevant research projects, co-create knowledge and solutions, verify the solutions and jointly communicate research findings. This framework has its seeds in social science and is termed a “real-world laboratory” because it takes part in the real-world of the stakeholders concerned.

Our goal in these collaborations is to reduce dependencies and foster fair and equitable partnerships with our local partners. To reflect our values, we strive to use sensitive and inclusive language that promotes diversity and equality.

In accordance with the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing, the IZW is committed to sharing the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in a fair and equitable manner. Our obligations extend beyond the genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge covered by the Nagoya Protocol; we are dedicated to follow the Access and Benefit-sharing principle to all research data collected. In all IZW international projects, we aim to promote capacity sharing with local collaborators, recognizing and exchanging the different knowledge, skills and expertise that all partners bring to the collaboration.

To support our researchers in putting these principles into practice, we have developed Guidelines for Fair and Equitable Partnerships. The Guidelines provide recommendations for establishing and maintaining fair international collaborations and cover topics such as shared decision-making, data and benefit sharing, capacity sharing, communication, and continuous learning. They are intended as a living document that will be regularly reviewed and further developed as we learn from our collaborations and from experiences across different contexts.

We recognize that this is an ongoing journey, and we remain dedicated to modify and improve our collaborative efforts to cultivate fair and equitable partnerships.