Study on Observer Participation in the Work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore

The WIPO General Assembly at its Fortieth (20th Ordinary) Session, held from September 26 to October 5, 2011, agreed on the mandate for the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) for the 2012-2013 biennium. The WIPO General Assembly further invited the IGC to review its procedures with a view to “enhancing the positive contribution of observers” to the IGC process. In order to facilitate this review, the Secretariat of WIPO was requested to prepare a study on the participation of observers in the work of the IGC. According to the decision of the General Assembly, the study should outline “current practices and potential options” in this regard.

In order to assist in the preparation of such a study, participants of the IGC (Member States and observers) are invited to submit their comments to the Secretariat of WIPO on the subject of the study. In this regard, a “Note on Existing Mechanisms for Participation of Observers in the Work of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore” has been prepared by the WIPO Secretariat and IGC participants are invited to consult this if they so wish.

Comments may be submitted in English, French or Spanish. The comments will be posted as received on this web page.

As the WIPO Secretariat wishes to submit the study to the next session of the IGC that is taking place on February 14 to 22, 2012, IGC participants are invited to submit their comments before November 30, 2011. 

Received Comments 

^{EN=English, FR=French, ES=Spanish}