WIPO Virtual and Hybrid Meetings

In a virtual meeting, only the Chair, the meeting secretariat, other essential WIPO staff and the interpreters, are physically present in the WIPO Conference Hall. All delegates connect to the meeting remotely using the virtual conferencing platform.

In a hybrid meeting, there is mixed physical and online participation by delegates. A limited number of delegates are physically present on-site in addition to the Chair, the WIPO team and interpreters. All other delegates participate remotely via the virtual conferencing platform. The audiovisual feeds from both the platform and the conference room are integrated and displayed in real time in both the physical and virtual meeting environment.

The invitation (convocation), accreditation process, and registration of delegates to WIPO virtual and hybrid meetings continues as normal through our usual registration system.

The registration form asks you to indicate whether you will be physically present at the meeting, or participating remotely.

After registration closes, each delegate participating remotely receives an email with joining instructions, a link to the meeting space and an access token. When s/he connects to the platform, s/he receives a unique authentication code via mobile phone or email, which is required to enter the meeting (this is the equivalent to badging on arrival at a physical meeting).

Please respect the registration deadline stipulated in the invitation circular to allow time for the technical two-factor authentication processes and pre-meeting individual coaching sessions.

For meetings with full interpretation, the Interprefy platform can accommodate up to 3,000 total participants, including 450 participants designated as having a speaking role ("active participation" mode).

Passive (non-speaking) participants will be able to follow the proceedings and access the “event chat”, but will not be able to request the floor, nor access the private chat functions. Their names will, however, appear on the official List of Participants for the meeting.

Yes. Live webcasting is provided as usual, and is now available in six languages. Recordings of the virtual and hybrid meetings are also available as Video-on-Demand. Live webcasting offers an easy alternative means for non-speakers to follow the proceedings in real time from outside without having to register or go through the authentication procedures for the virtual platform. (The names of people following a meeting only via the webcast do appear on the final published List of Participants.)