WIPO Assemblies

Geneva, October 3, 2013 PR/2013/746

The WIPO Assemblies ended late on Wednesday night with agreement on many points on its agenda, but without reaching agreement on some important points, which have now been referred for decision to December 2013, when it was agreed that an extraordinary session of the Assemblies should be convened to consider the outstanding items.

Among the key points already agreed by the Assemblies were:

• Adoption of amendments aimed at ensuring that the IT framework and the legal framework of the Hague system evolve in a coordinated fashion with a view to fostering its geographic expansion and coping with the expected growth in filings.

• To support the workplan for the Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE) next session in March 2014, which will cover alternative dispute resolution systems in IP areas and preventive actions to complement ongoing enforcement measures.

• Noted a progress report on discussions at the Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) which are to continue in a balanced manner and avoiding the duplication of work carried out within WIPO or by other international bodies. Member states also took note of progress in the contribution by the SCP to the implementation of the Development Agenda recommendations.

• Member states noted developments in the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center’s provision of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, including assistance requested by certain intellectual property offices in offering ADR options for opposition and other disputes before these offices.

Outstanding items include:

• WIPO’s program and budget for the 2014/15 biennium, including the establishment of new external offices.

• Possible convening of a diplomatic conference for the adoption of a design law treaty to develop simplified standards for industrial design registration procedures.

• Decisions related to the report of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.

Member states elected Ambassador Päivi Kairamo, who is also the Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, to the position of Chair of the WIPO General Assembly for the period 2013 to 2015.  Ambassador Fode Seck, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, was elected Chair of the WIPO Coordination Committee for the period from 2013 to 2014.

For further information, please contact the Media Relations Section at WIPO:

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