TIMOTHY J. HODGES
Timothy Hodges is Co-Chair of the Working Group on Access and Benefit Sharing of Genetic Resources (ABS) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Elected to this position in March 2006, Mr. Hodges is co-chairing negotiations of an International ABS Regime -- aimed at concluding in 2010.
Prior to assuming Co-Chair responsibilities, Mr. Hodges was Canada’s National Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) Focal Point. In this capacity, he led Canada’s delegations to the CBD’s ABS Working Group meetings over the past several years.
Mr. Hodges has also had overall responsibility for the Government of Canada’s national ABS policy initiative. As such he has chaired the Federal Government’s ABS Committee and co-chaired the Federal-Provincial-Territorial ABS Working Group.
Mr. Hodges is a career diplomat. Much of his professional career has focussed on bilateral and multilateral environmental, economic, and trade negotiations. Over the past twenty-five years, he has been involved in a wide range of international files relating to technology transfer, science policy, biotechnology, intellectual property rights, genetic resources, indigenous issues, global change and circumpolar affairs – negotiated under the G8, WTO, UN CBD, UNFCCC, CSD, UNESCO, APEC, FAO, NAFTA, OAS, OECD and numerous other international organisations.
