WIPO Traditional Knowledge Committee Informal Text Under Debate

Below is the draft chair’s text under discussion at the 3-12 July World Intellectual Property Organization Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC). The committee has been in informal and “informal informal” (very small group of key delegations) meetings since late morning on 11 July. Discussion has been mainly focused on articles iii and iv, related to the committee’s future mandate. On 12 July, the committee appeared to reach a preliminary agreement to change articles v and vi, according to participants. The committee is attempting to final agreement on the chair text to be sent to the September WIPO General Assembly. Informal and “informal informal” meetings will continue this afternoon, the chair said.

Chair paper: 14:30, 10.vii.07

ITEM 10: FUTURE WORK

Draft decision: proposal by the Chair

The Intergovernmental Committee reviewed the progress made on its substantive agenda items at the current and previous sessions of its current mandate, and

(i) Agreed that solid progress had been made on its substantive work to date;

(ii) Agreed that its work had greatly benefited from the enhanced participation of representatives of indigenous and local communities made possible by various initiatives including the successful launch of the WIPO Voluntary Fund;

(iii) Agreed to recommend to the WIPO General Assembly that the current mandate of the Committee be renewed, including the five elements set out in document WO/GA/30/8, paragraphs 93 to 95;

(iv) Agreed that, in view of the mandated requirement to accelerate its work, the Committee should work towards producing concrete, substantive outcomes by the end of 2009 and to facilitate this acceleration of work the Committee at its next session should develop a timeline and methodology for its next mandate, once the General Asssembly agrees to renew its mandate;

(v) Agreed concerning its substantive working documents on item 7 (TCEs/EoF) that the Secretariat should prepare:

– a document that consolidates all comments provided before the tenth eleventh session and made during the eleventh session concerning each of the ten issues discussed;
– a document that provides a succinct, neutral summary of the range of discussion and commentary on each issue, without prejudice to any position taken on these issues;
– a reproduction of the text of the Annex of document WIPO/GRTKF/IC/9/4, which remains on the table as agreed at the tenth session.

(vi) Agreed concerning its substantive working documents on items 8 (TK) that the Secretariat should prepare:

– a document that consolidates all comments provided before the tenth eleventh session and made during the eleventh session concerning each of the ten issues discussed;
– a document that provides a succinct, neutral summary of the range of discussion and commentary on each issue, without prejudice to any position taken on these issues;

– a reproduction of the text of the Annex of document WIPO/GRTKF/IC/9/4, which remains on the table as agreed at the tenth session.

(vi) Agreed concerning its substantive working documents on items 8 (TK) that the Secretariat should prepare:

– a document that consolidates all comments provided before the tenth eleventh session and made during the eleventh session concerning each of the ten issues discussed;
– a document that provides a succinct, neutral summary of the range of discussion and commentary on each issue, without prejudice to any position taken on these issues;
– a reproduction of the text of the Annex of document WIPO/GRTKF/IC/9/5, which remains on the table as agreed at the tenth session.

(vii) Agreed concerning its substantive working documents on item 9 (genetic resources ) that the Secretariat should prepare:

– an annotated version of the list of options (WIPO/GRTKF/IC/11/8(a)) which would factually describe the current state of play in the Committee and in other international forums and;
– a further update of international developments based on document 8(b) which would include omissions identified in the current session, more recent developments, and any other relevant developments reported to the Committee.

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