WIPO

INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF A WORLD
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DAY

Proposal by the People's Republic of China

1. In a letter dated August 9, 1999, the Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China requested the Director General of WIPO to communicate to the Member States of WIPO a proposal of the People's Republic of China concerning the establishment of a "World Intellectual Property Day" on April 26 of each year. The text of that letter is annexed to the present document.

2. The General Assembly is invited to pronounce itself on the proposal.

[Annex follows]

ANNEX

PROPOSAL BY THE STATE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Beijing, August 9, 1999

Dr. Kamil Idris
Director General
World Intellectual Property Organization
Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Dr. Idris,

The 34^th serial sessions of the WIPO General Assembly will be convened in Geneva in the coming September.

Since the 21^st Century will be an era of knowledge-based economy and information technologies, where intellectual property will be one major factor for pushing forward social and economic development, to establish and improve gradually the intellectual property protection system has turned out to be of vital importance, either in developed or developing countries, to the national economy, people's livelihood and international relations. In order to further promote the awareness of intellectual property protection, expand the influence of intellectual property protection across the world, urge countries to publicize and popularize intellectual property protection laws and regulations, enhance the public legal awareness of intellectual property rights, encourage invention-innovation activities in various countries and strengthen international exchange in the intellectual property field, the Chinese delegation would like to propose that the WIPO adopt the commemoration day of its 30^th anniversary of founding (26 April) as the "World Intellectual Property Day" next year and in the following each year. Meanwhile, the Chinese delegation expects the WIPO to list the above proposal in the motions submitted for discussion in the General Assembly. I deeply believe that the adoption of the "World Intellectual property Day" will be widely and well received by all Member States, and will help bring more attention and interest to the theme "Intellectual Property and the 21^st Century" on the same day every year.

Please accept, Sir, assurance of my highest consideration,

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Jiang Ying

Commissioner

[End of Annex and of document]