Some member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) believe that WIPO, as a specialised agency of the United Nations, should integrate the development dimension into all its activities and be guided in particular by the UN Millennium Development Goals. A Development Agenda for WIPO is an initiative by fourteen developing country members of WIPO, collectively known as the "Group of Friends of Development".

The Group of Friends of Development are led by Argentina and Brazil with Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Peru, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania and Venezuela.

The aim is to align WIPO with the spirit of thinking in other international organisations such as the World Bank and the WTO, which have undergone similar evaluations to ensure that their actions achieve development-oriented results. Discussions on a development agenda for WIPO began in 2004 and continue into 2007 in specially convened committee meetings. Their recommendations will be reported to the WIPO General Assembly in September 2007.

The international library community supports discussions on a development agenda for WIPO because we believe that it will lead to a more equitable policy environment, benefiting developing countries in particular. Below are statements, presentation and media reports.

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2006 - 2007

Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA)

Latest news:
PCDA recommendations to the WIPO 2007 General Assembly
Analysis of the recommendations and the agreed 45 proposals

Fourth Session, 11-15 June 2007
A Development Agenda for WIPO. Why libraries care.
IFLA intervention
US Library Copyright Alliance
Collection of NGO statements, news and analysis

Third Session, 19-23 February 2007
eIFL/IFLA/LCA The Public Domain. Why WIPO should care
eIFL/IFLA first joint intervention English / Russian
eIFL/IFLA second joint intervention English / Russian
eIFL/IFLA third joint intervention English / Russian
Collection of NGO statements, news and analysis

Second Session, June 26-30 2006
eIFL/IFLA/EBLIDA joint statements: Oral intervention / Written statement

First Session, February 20-24 2006
eIFL/IFLA joint statements on country proposals: African Group / Chile / Colombia / United States

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2005

Inter-sessional Inter-governmental Meeting on a Development Agenda for WIPO (IIM)

Third Session, 20-22 July 2005
Joint IFLA/eIFL.net statement

Second Session, 20-22 June 2005
eIFL oral intervention / written statement
IFLA oral intervention / written statement
eIFL/IFLA joint statement on procedures

First Session, 11-13 April 2005
eIFL intervention / IFLA intervention

Permanent Committee on Cooperation for Development Related to Intellectual Property (PCIPD), 14-15 April 2005
Joint IFLA/eIFL.net intervention

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WIPO General Assembly

2006
Report on the Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA)
Proposal of the Kyrgyz Republic on Agenda Item 8 "Report of the Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA)"
Report adopted by the General Assembly: see paragraphs 26-67

2005
Matters Concerning a Development Agenda for WIPO
Report to the General Assembly
Report adopted by the General Assembly: see paragraphs 110-146

2004
Proposal by Argentina and Brazil for the Establishment of a Development Agenda for WIPO

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Events relating to a Development Agenda for WIPO

Informal lunchtime session during PCDA/1, February 2006
Libraries and the WIPO Development Agenda. Presentation by eIFL.net

WIPO International Seminar on Intellectual Property and Development, May 2005
Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Environment. Presentation by eIFL.net

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Resources

Intellectual Property: benefit or burden for Africa? by Denise Nicholson
IFLA Journal 2006 Vol. 32/4 pp. 310-324 Download pdf

This paper highlights some of the issues affecting access to knowledge
in South Africa and other African countries, as well as the implications
of international intellectual property agreements, focusing mainly on
copyright. It will show that the majority of these countries are struggling
to meet the very basic requirements of international intellectual property
agreements, yet some of them are being pressured by developed
countries to adopt even stricter intellectual property regimes through the
Intellectual Property Chapter or ‘TRIPS-Plus’ in Free Trade Agreements.
The paper highlights the impact of the some of the TRIPS-Plus provisions
on education, libraries, and people with sensory-disabilities, as well as
public health and development in general.

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Press releases

Are the UN's richest members committed to access to knowledge for all? International library organisations call for an end to deadlock in discussions for a Development Agenda for WIPO. IFLA World Library and Information Congress, Oslo, August 2005

Joint eIFL/NGO press release calling on WIPO to move the development agenda forward, July 2005

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Media reports and public statements

SUNS: NGOs urge WIPO to move  Development Agenda forward
Bridges Weekly: Consensus Just Out of Reach on Way Forward for WIPO Development Agenda (27.7.2005)
NGO group statement supporting the Friends of Development proposal

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