Informal consultations: The future work of the IGC: toward an effective protection of traditional knowledge and folklore

26th September 2005 • Co-organised with IDDRI; IUCN; CIEL; QUNO.

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Informal Consultations

Work at the Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore has been advancing toward the design and implementation of some limited measures against misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge as well as possible establishment of a set of objectives and principles for the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore. At the Eighth Session of the IGC, WIPO Member States agreed to recommend to the 2005 General Assembly to extend the current mandate of the IGC for the 2005 – 2007 biennium. This recommendation will be taken up by the WIPO General Assembly.

The Eighth Session was characterized by considerable discussion as to whether – with its present mandate – discussions at IGC remain conducive to an adequate international solution to the intellectual property related concerns that arise out of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and folklore. Despite uncertainty over the future mandate of the IGC, it seems that its work will continue and attention will be placed on substantive issues regarding traditional knowledge protection and folklore. Members have started to engage with specific comments and proposals of a possible set of provisions that could address some current concerns including
positive protection and sui generis systems.

In order to respond to these challenges, various CSOs, including IUCN, IDDRI, CIEL, QUNO and ICTSD would like to initiate some consultations with developed and developing country negotiators in Geneva to discuss future work in the IGC and possible strategies that could be undertaken to ensure effective protection for traditional innovations and creations.

Agenda

19h30 - 19h45
Welcoming Remarks by David Vivas and Selim Louafi

19h45 - 20h00

What do we get from the IGC process; and status of discussions in the IGC:

Anthony Taubman, Shakeel Bhatti, WIPO Secretariat

20h00 - 20h20

The future work of the IGC

Alejandro Neyra, Mission of Peru and Jostein Sandvik, Norway Patent Office

20h20 - 21h15

Open debate

21h20 - 21h30

Wrap up: Eddi Hariyadhi, chairman of the IGC

Participants

Josefina Aquino
Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN

Shakeel Bhatti
WIPO

Marie Fernando Espinosa
IUCN

Bernice Gacheyu
Kenya Copyright Office

Eddi Hariyadhi
Indonesian Mission to the UN

Selim Louafi
IDDRI

Anjelica Naverro
CIEL

Alejandro Neyra
Permanent Mission of Peru to the UN

Emma Njogu
Kenya Copyright Office

Pierre Oliviere
UK Patent Office

Preeti Ramdasi
IDDRI

Daniel Robinson
ICTSD

Santiago Roca
INDECOPI

Jostein Sandvik
Norwegian Patent Office

Antony Taubman
WIPO

Luis Villarroec
Ministry of Education, Chile

David Vivas-Eugui
ICTSD

Martin Watson
QUNO