The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) meets several times a year in Geneva.
This page provides the most relevant documents and materials to help participants prepare for the next session – including for consultations with indigenous peoples, local communities and other stakeholders.
The twenty-seventh session of the IGC (March 24 to April 4, 2014) focuses on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.
Shortcuts
Working documents
The working documents for the 27th session of the IGC are:- Agenda
- The Protection of Traditional Knowledge: Draft Articles
- The Protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions: Draft Articles
- Joint Recommendation on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge
- Joint Recommendation on the Use of Databases for the Defensive Protection of Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources
- Proposal for the Terms of Reference for the Study by the WIPO Secretariat on Measures Related to the Avoidance of the Erroneous Grant of Patents and Compliance with Existing Access and Benefit-Sharing Systems
Key background materials
- IGC Mandate 2014/2015
- Background brief No. 1: Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property
- Background brief No. 2: The WIPO IGC
- Background brief No. 3: Developing a National Strategy on IP and TK, TCEs and GRs
- Background brief No. 7: Customary Law and Traditional Knowledge
- Background brief No. 9: Documentation of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions
- TK and TCEs – Certain suggested cross-cutting issues (EN | AR | ZH | RU )
- Minding Culture: Case Studies on Intellectual Property and Traditional Cultural Expressions
See also the Chair's information document Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions: Certain Suggested Cross-Cutting Issues. The summary of documents provides a short explanation of the session’s documents.
Informal information session
At preparatory informal information sessions, the WIPO secretariat provides member states' representatives in Geneva with information on the key issues under discussion at each upcoming IGC session, as well as on practical arrangements.
The informal information session for IGC 27 took place at:
WIPO Headquarters (Room AB 13.1) on March 14, 2014, at 10:30 a.m.
- Presentation slides
View the video of the March 14 session.