Washington

Twelve countries in the developing world have issued a declaration requesting an international agreement to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the world's biodiversity, such as new drugs and agricultural products.

Between them, the countries — which include China, Mexico, India and Brazil — claim to house nearly three-quarters of the Earth's biodiversity.

The declaration — also signed by Indonesia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Kenya, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and South Africa — was issued on 18 February at a meeting of environment ministers in Cancun, Mexico.

The declaration is seen as an attempt by the nations to stake out a unified position ahead of two international meetings — a conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in The Hague in April, and the United Nations' World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August.

The CBD was set up in 1992 to create a structure for agreement between governments and corporations for the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from biological resources. But the United States has not ratified it, and the 12 countries say that its principles are not being implemented.