Before joining FAO, Dr Shakeel Bhatti was at the United Nations in Geneva where he headed the Genetic Resources, Biotechnology and Associated Traditional Knowledge Section of the World Intellectual Property Organization. He was responsible for the work of the Organization on intellectual property law in relation to genetic resources, biodiversity, traditional knowledge and biotechnology. He was instrumental in the creation of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore, and served in the Secretariat of the Committee.

   Dr Bhatti represented the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the negotiations for the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), in the WTO, and in the genetic resource negotiations at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which led to the CBD Bonn Guidelines on access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing. Before establishing the Intergovernmental Committee, he worked in the Development Cooperation (and Copyright Law) Division, where he provided assistance to developing countries regarding the improvement of their copyright legislation and national intellectual property systems. Before joining WIPO, Dr Bhatti worked on his doctorate at Duke University, USA, regarding the scope of patentable subject matter under Article 27 of the TRIPS Agreement in relation to genetic resources and biotechnological inventions. He is currently completing a second PhD on bioethics, biotechnology patenting and the right to food.

   He has taught international patent law and genetic resource policy at several universities in India, Japan and Sweden, including the National Law School of India University in Bangalore, Center for Intellectual Property Rights Studies of Cochin University, Swedish Agricultural University and at other institutions. He is a member of the Expert Group on Rights to Plant Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge at the World Trade Institute and the Social Science Research Council Expert Group on Intellectual Property Rights and Cultural Flows. His articles appear in several journals and books, such as the Handbook on Plant Biotechnology, published by Wiley and Sons.