Gift; Recd 11/98; Contents : 1. From GATT to WTO : a brief history; 2. Intellectual property rights and international trade : why there is a TRIPs Agreement; 3. IPRs, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity; 4. The TRIPs Agreement : an analysis; 5. The WTO, TRIPs and the biodiversity convention; 6. Conclusions;.