WIPO Director General Convenes Inaugural Meeting of Policy Advisory Commission
Geneva, April 13, 1999
Press Releases PR/1999/164
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, will chair the first meeting of the Policy Advisory Commission (PAC) on April 15, 1999. The PAC, an initiative proposed by Dr. Idris when he took over as Director General of the Organization in November 1997 and endorsed by WIPO's member states, is composed of eminent personalities with a proven leadership track-record. They come from the world of politics, diplomacy, law and public administration chosen with regard to geographical representation. A list of members is available.
As outlined in WIPO's work program, the mandate of the PAC is to "enhance the Secretariat's capacity to monitor and respond in a timely, informed and effective manner to international and regional developments in intellectual property, in information technology, and in other fields bearing on WIPO's operations and its policy environment." This is necessary in the light of extraordinary advances in technology and the boom in the creative arts sector and the cultural industry.
The PAC is a purely advisory body for the Director General of WIPO. Its recommendations are not binding, and it does not in any way replace the decision-making powers of the member states. The PAC will assist the Director General in identifying policies to deal with new and emerging trends in intellectual property. With the advent of globalization, advances in digital technology, rapid growth of the Internet and breakthrough discoveries in biotechnology, it is clear that new visions and strategies are needed to meet the challenges ahead. WIPO, the leading international organization charged with promoting intellectual property protection through cooperation between states, must ensure that it is responsive to the changing needs and concerns of all those who benefit from the international intellectual property system and that protection will lead to a better life for all.
Members of the Commission will offer their insights on the significance of placing intellectual property in a wider economic, social, and cultural context. This will help the Organization in its quest to demystify intellectual property which until recently has been seen primarily as a domain for lawyers and technical information experts. The economic, trade, technology transfer, social and cultural aspects of intellectual property are only now being recognized. The PAC will consider the question of how to create broader awareness of the benefits of a robust intellectual property system to spur human creativity and promote economic development and cultural well-being.
The first part of the day will be devoted to presentations by five members on the following topical subjects:
- "Critical Topics for Intellectual Property in the 21st Century" by Mr. Marino Porzio, Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Chile and former Deputy Director General of WIPO
- "Intellectual Property as a Tool for Development" by Mr. Bruce Lehman, President, International Intellectual Property Institute, Washington D.C. and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Patent and Trademark Office, US Department of Commerce
- "The Future Evolution of the International Legal Framework for Intellectual Property Protection" by Dr. Bojan Pretnar, Director, Slovenia Intellectual Property Office
- "The Future Role of WIPO in the International and United Nations Communities" by Mr. Mayar Gabay, First Vice President, UN Administrative Tribunal and Chairman, Patent and Copyright Laws Revision Committees, Ministry of Justice, Israel
- "A Global Intellectual Property Charter" by Mr. Hiramitsu Arai, Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Japan
During the afternoon session members will discuss the issues that were raised in the presentations and engage in a general exchange of views.
The Director General of WIPO is committed to ensuring that intellectual property issues find their place at the forefront of national and international policy-making. It is becoming increasingly clear that the protection of intellectual property stimulates industrial and artistic creativity. An effective intellectual property system is central to the transformation of that creativity into material wealth and social and cultural good. It is only through strong, mature and open relationships with all who have a stake in the intellectual property system that true and lasting progress can be made.
For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Information Section at WIPO:
Tel: (+41 22) 338 8161: (+41 22) 338 9547
Fax (+41 22) 338 88 10
E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int