CHAPTER I: OBJECTIVE, COMPETENCE, COMPOSITION AND SECRETARIAT OF THE CONFERENCE

Rule 1: Objective and Competence of the Conference

(1) The objective of the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a New Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (hereinafter referred to as “the Conference”) is to negotiate and adopt such a new Act and Regulations under that new Act (hereinafter referred to, respectively, as “the new Act” or “the new Act of the Hague Agreement,” as the case may be, and as “the Regulations”).

(2) The Conference, meeting in Plenary, shall be competent to:

(i) adopt the Rules of Procedure of the Conference (hereinafter referred to as “these Rules”) and to make any amendments thereto;

(ii) adopt the agenda of the Conference;

(iii) decide on credentials, full powers, letters or other documents presented in accordance with Rules 6, 7 and 8 of these Rules;

(iv) adopt the new Act and the Regulations;

(v) adopt any recommendation or resolution whose subject matter is germane to the new Act and the Regulations;

(vi) adopt any agreed statements to be included in the Records of the Conference;

(vii) adopt any final act of the Conference;

(viii) deal with all other matters referred to it by these Rules or appearing on its agenda.

Rule 2: Composition of the Conference

(1) The Conference shall consist of:

(i) delegations of the States members of World Intellectual Property Organization (hereinafter referred to as “the Ordinary Member Delegations”),

(ii) the delegations of the African Intellectual Property Organization, the African Regional Industrial Property Organization and the European Community (hereinafter referred to as the “Special Member Delegations”),

(iii) the delegations of States members of the United Nations other than the States members of the World Intellectual Property Organization invited to the Conference as observers (hereinafter referred to as “the Observer Delegations”),

(iv) representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations invited to the Conference as observers (hereinafter referred to as “the Observer Organizations”).

(2) References in these Rules of Procedure to Member Delegations shall be considered as references to the Ordinary Member Delegations and the Special Member Delegations.

(3) References in these Rules of Procedure to “Delegations” shall be considered as references to the three kinds (Ordinary Member, Special Member and Observer) of Delegations but not to Observer Organizations.

Rule 3: Secretariat of the Conference

(1) The Conference shall have a Secretariat provided by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (hereinafter referred to as “the International Bureau” and “WIPO,” respectively).

(2) The Director General of WIPO and any official of the International Bureau designated by the Director General of WIPO may participate in the discussions of the Conference, meeting in Plenary, as well as in any committee or working group thereof and may, at any time, make oral or written statements, observations or suggestions to the Conference, meeting in Plenary, and any committee or working group thereof concerning any question under consideration.

(3) The Director General of WIPO shall, from among the staff of the International Bureau, designate the Secretary of the Conference and a Secretary for each committee and for each working group.

(4) The Secretary of the Conference shall direct the staff required by the Conference.

(5) The Secretariat shall provide for the receiving, translation, reproduction and distribution of the required documents, for the interpretation of oral interventions and for the performance of all other secretarial work required for the Conference.

(6) The Director General of WIPO shall be responsible for the custody and preservation in the archives of WIPO of all documents of the Conference. The International Bureau shall distribute the final documents of the Conference after the closing of the Conference.