World Intellectual Property Organization Development Agenda

Abstract

During the 31st Session of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly, which took place in September 2004, a group of countries called ‘Friends of Development’ co-sponsored a proposal to establish a ‘Development Agenda’ for WIPO. The proposal was based on the premise that development concerns should be given emphasis in all WIPO activities, so that the Organisation may comply with its United Nations mandate. After some years of in-depth discussions, a Development Agenda was adopted in 2007 by WIPO's General Assembly. The Development Agenda includes a number of issues relevant to development such us technical assistance and capacity-building; norm-setting, flexibilities, public policy and public domain; technology transfer, information and communication technologies, and access to knowledge; assessment, evaluation and impact studies; institutional matters including mandate and governance; and so on. This paper outlines the process that led to the adoption of the Development Agenda, and analyses the expected effects and challenges of its implementation.