WIPO Development Agenda: Background (2004-2007)

The first proposal for the establishment of a development agenda for WIPO (document WO/GA/31/11) was submitted by Argentina and Brazil at the 2004 General Assembly, and subsequently supported by 12 other developing countries. After discussions, Member States agreed to hold a series of inter-sessional intergovernmental meetings (IIM) to examine proposals originally submitted by Brazil and Argentina as well as additional proposals of other member states.  Three sessions of the IIM were held in 2005 at which eight papers containing wide-ranging proposals were presented.  In May 2005, WIPO also hosted an International Seminar on Intellectual Property and Development, in partnership with other multilateral organizations such as UNCTAD, UNIDO, WHO and WTO, which was open to all stakeholders, including NGOs, civil society and academia.

In order to accelerate and complete discussions, the 2005 General Assembly established the Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA). The PCDA met on two occasions in 2006 and 111 proposals, in actionable and operational form, were submitted for consideration. The basis for these proposals came out of 14 proposal papers by various Member States.

The 2006 General Assembly renewed the mandate of the PCDA for one year. The 2006 Assembly also decided that two 5-day sessions would be held in 2007. These sessions would allow for structured in-depth discussions on all 111 proposals that had been made during the sessions of the IIM and PCDA in 2005 and 2006, respectively. In order to facilitate the task and streamline the process for detailed examination of all proposals in an inclusive manner, the PCDA decided:

• to narrow down the proposals, in order to ensure that there was no repetition or duplication;
• to separate the proposals, which were actionable, from those which were declarations of general principles and objectives; and
• to note those proposals, which related to existing activities in WIPO and those which did not. 

It was further agreed at that time that the PCDA would report to the 2007 General Assembly with recommendations for action on the agreed proposals, and on a framework for continuing to address the other proposals following the 2007 General Assembly.  In 2007, two sessions of the PCDA were held, during which Member States agreed, inter alia, on a set of 45 recommendations and recommended the establishment of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property.

Chronology of the Development Agenda for WIPO