WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION

GENEVA

ROUNDTABLE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Geneva, July 23 and 24, 1998

RULES OF PROCEDURE

prepared by the International Bureau

The Roundtable is intended to: facilitate an exchange of views and information concerning the protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and culture; allow for full and effective participation by the participating indigenous groups and local communities; and enable participants to listen to and learn from representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities as to their needs and expectations in this regard.

To this end, the following rules of procedure have been established:

1. Comments and statements made by participants will not be attributed, unless otherwise indicated by the participant. The Roundtable will not be recorded. WIPO may take notes of comments and statements made by participants as an information-gathering exercise and as part of its study of the issues addressed during the Roundtable. In the event that WIPO subsequently uses or refers to such information it will be without attribution, unless permission to attribute is granted from the individual or organization concerned.

2. The Roundtable is not intended to be "result-oriented." As such, no records, reports, statements or declarations will be prepared, produced or adopted by the Roundtable. However, as the first formal event of this nature organized by WIPO, the meeting will facilitate further discussion and activity in relation to the protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and culture.

3. The Roundtable is intended to provide an opportunity for full and effective exploration of issues related to intellectual property by the indigenous representatives and local communities. Accordingly, interventions by representatives of governments, other United Nations agencies, inter-governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations will be limited to the times provided for discussion.

4. Session Two of the program for the Roundtable provides an opportunity for brief presentations by representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities on the protection of traditional knowledge, innovations and culture. The procedure for this session will be announced by the chairperson of the Roundtable, following consultation by him with the representatives of indigenous peoples and local communities.

5. In keeping with United Nations practice, traditional opening ceremonies are not included in the program for the Roundtable.

[End of Document]