Voluntary Fund

In order to further facilitate the participation of indigenous and local communities in the work of the IGC, in October 2005 the Member States of WIPO set up a Voluntary Fund for Accredited Indigenous and Local Communities.

The Rules of the Voluntary Fund were amended in September 2010 by the WIPO General Assembly at its 39th session, following recommendations by the sixteenth IGC session in May 2010 to make provision for financial support for participation of nominated representatives of accredited Indigenous and local communities, to IGC sessions and meetings of the Intersessional Working Groups (IWGs).

Only already accredited observers, which are representatives of local or indigenous communities, may apply for this funding. A separate, fast-track procedure has been in operation since the first session of the IGC in April 2001 for the accreditation of observers.

The amended text of the Member States' decision [DOC]/[PDF] to establish the Voluntary Fund sets out, in its Annex, the objectives, rules and functioning of the Fund.

The extent of support that this Voluntary Fund can provide depends on the resources donated to it. Any potential donors are encouraged to contact the WIPO Secretariat at grtkf@wipo.int for further information. Even modest contributions will contribute to the success of the Fund.

Applications for funding related to a particular session of the IGC must be received by the WIPO Secretariat 60 days before the session which precedes the session for which funding is sought.

Applicants are invited to complete an Application form [DOC]/[PDF] and send it to the WIPO Secretariat:

• preferably by e-mail at grtkf@wipo.int, for signed and scanned forms only, or
• by mail or fax to:
• Traditional Knowledge Division
  World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  34, chemin des Colombettes
  1211 Geneva 20
  Switzerland
  Fax +41-22-338-8120