23/10/2008

WIPO. 13th Meeting of Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC)

The 13th meeting of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) was held in Geneva from 13th to 17th October.

The main aim of the meeting was to discuss the future work program and the working procedures required to deliver results. However, the delegations were not able to reach an agreement.

Nevertheless, there is a general acceptance of the need to exchange views and experiences until a focused negotiation process can be launched. Informal consultations with member states and observers, including representatives of indigenous and local communities will continue. Effective participation by these groups is of vital interest, both with regard to the procedural and to the substantive legal aspects of the Committee's work.

The IGC was established in 2000 with the objective of progressing towards a shared international understanding of how best to protect traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. In February, the IGC drew up proposals to analyse gaps in the available international protection. Nonetheless, as mentioned before, delegations have not been able to make much progress.

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Related news item in IPR-Helpdesk:
2007/07/17. WIPO. Recommendation to renew the mandate of the IGC