[A2k] TWN Statement at IIM

[Sangeeta]

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 STATEMENT BY THIRD WORLD NETWORK

WIPO IIM 2 (20 JUNE 2005)



The Third World Network would like to thank WIPO Members states for allowing
our organization to take the floor.



The current trend in the global IP system is to strive for the highest
standards. The underlying assumption is "the more rights the better".  We
see this trend taking place in many forums.



TRIPS harmonized minimum IP standards for all WTO member states. LDC and
developing countries are still grappling with its implementation. A World
Bank report estimates that the increased obligations on developing countries
to implement TRIPS costs developing countries 60 billion dollars a year. In
addition there are costs for administering and enforcing IP laws and
policies, requiring law reform, enforcement agencies and legal expertise.



IP standards beyond TRIPS are also being imposed on developing and least
developed countries through bilateral free trade agreements and economic
partnership agreements. Through these agreements, developing countries are
made to adopt many of the WIPO treaties before they are ready to assume such
IP obligations.



WIPO is also taking on an IP agenda that is "maximalist".  This IP
maximalist agenda is clearly evident in the WIPO"s DG book titled
"Intellectual Property: A Power Tool for Economic Growth" and in WIPO Vision
which states that "WIPO's objective for the new century is the promotion of
the effective protection and use of intellectual property throughout the
world"



Developing and least developed countries are concerned with these
developments. This concern is reflected very clearly and strongly by the
largest Third World Coalition in the United Nations at the recent second
South Summit in Doha.



The Doha plan of action calls on "WIPO, as a UN Agency, to include in all
its future plans and activities the development dimension



This statement provides concrete evidence that the heads of government and
states from developing countries from all the regions believe that WIPO has
not incorporated nor sufficiently addressed the development dimension in its
work as yet.



Dissatisfaction with the global IP system is evident also from strong
movements in developed countries that are repeatedly calling for reform of
the IP system in their countries. They are particularly concerned that the
dysfunctional IP system in the developed countries are being imported into
the developing countries through WIPO and its norm setting activities.



We feel that the proposal submitted by the Friends of Development to
incorporate the development agenda presents an exceptional opportunity for
WIPO to integrate the devt dimension



We are of the view that every WIPO committee that meets in future should
undertake a stock take of what has been achieved and a development impact
assessment to examine to what extent it should be reformed so that it takes
into account the concerns of developing and least developed countries.



We also would like to express our support for the latest proposal by Brazil
in structuring the discussion on the Development Agenda.



We have to decide today whether we want WIPO to be part of the solution in
reforming the global IP system or "the problem" in the global IP system.



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