U.S. Statement on the 4th Session of the Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA)

Geneva
June 15, 2007

Delegates from more than 100 WIPO Member States in the final June 11-15 meeting of the PCDA agreed on a set of proposals related to a WIPO development agenda that will now be forwarded for approval to the 2007 General Assembly.  They also agreed on a recommendation to implement the PCDA proposals through the establishment of a Committee on Development and IP.  The new committee would replace the existing Permanent Committee on Cooperation for Development Related to Intellectual Property (PCIPD). The proposals, which add to the list of proposals agreed in February, reinforce WIPO's commitment to the needs of developing countries.  At the same time, they reaffirm WIPO's clear mandate as the specialized UN agency that promotes the protection of intellectual property worldwide.

The U.S. believes that these proposals reflect Member States' recognition of the role that intellectual property plays in development, and their commitment to providing support to building national capacity to protect innovation and creativity.   

During the negotiations, the U.S. stressed that efforts to weaken the international IP framework or to fundamentally change WIPO's current mission, which is to promote the protection of intellectual property, would not be consistent with the economic and development goals of its members.  During the 2007 General Assembly's consideration of the PCDA proposals and follow-up work, the U.S. will do its utmost to ensure that WIPO continues to contribute to development by deepening and expanding its intellectual property expertise, within its established mandate, and without duplicating the work of other international organizations. 

The U.S. urges that the progress made on development issues also extend to other areas of WIPO’s work.  In particular, WIPO Members should intensify consultations with the Chair of the General Assembly with a view to reviving work in a core area of WIPO's business, substantive patent law harmonization.  The 2007 General Assembly should agree not only on development proposals and the creation of a Development and IP Committee, but also on ambitious plans for substantive patent law harmonization and resumption of the work of the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents.

 

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