NGOs: Farmers’ Rights Should Be Safeguarded In Activities Of Plant Treaty, WIPO, UPOV 29/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Over 50 organisations have co-signed a letter to the International Plant Treaty calling for it to safeguard the implementation of farmers’ rights in the context of joint activities with the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).
Strengthening WIPO’s Governance For The Next 50 Years: A Time For Action 26/09/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment In 2017, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will mark its 50th anniversary. In the lead up to that milestone, the next three years provide a vital opportunity for Member States to update and strengthen WIPO’s governance, both to address current problems and to better equip the organisation for addressing challenges that may arise in the next 50 years, writes Carolyn Deere Birkbeck.
New WIPO Conference Hall Offers Grand Setting As Nations Gather 24/09/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment At the outset of its annual General Assembly this week, the World Intellectual Property Organization inaugurated a state-of-the-art new conference hall which has already drawn attention for its prominent position overlooking the Place des Nations in Geneva.
UN Human Rights Council Hears Discussion On Right To Privacy In Digital Age 12/09/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The UN Human Rights Council today held a panel discussion in Geneva on the right to privacy in the digital age, featuring several experts. The panel was part of a larger effort by the Council to address the increasingly urgent issue.
UN Internet Governance Forum Sees New Challengers, From Top Down And Bottom Up 08/09/2014 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 5 Comments ISTANBUL – The Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace by John Perry Barlow in the end somehow reconnected the 9th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and the new Internet Ungovernance Forum held in Istanbul last week. The nearly decade-old UN-led IGF initiative is facing profound new challenges as the global split widens over the future of the internet.
IP-Watch Celebrates 10 Years With An Update! 04/09/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment At Intellectual Property Watch, www.ip-watch.org, we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary by innovating to bring you the best independent coverage of international intellectual property policy possible. We are excited to announce our new website design, aimed at making our content easier to read, navigate and organize, with a simpler layout, clear text, more images, and new features like the From the Regions section.
WIPO Members Work To Strengthen Oversight Of UN Agency 03/09/2014 by William New and Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments World Intellectual Property Organization member governments are hard at work this week trying to improve auditing and oversight of the UN agency, coming after a successful year financially but a year of questions about governance and transparency. Proposed changes include a number of measures on conflicts of interest and investigations even at the highest levels of the organization.
UN Inspectors Find Need For Transparency, Changes In Governance At WIPO 28/08/2014 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) has issued a substantive analysis of management and administration in the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. And while the report highlights significant progress in a number of areas, it offers a list of ways WIPO can do better – including on transparency and sorting out staff concerns and strengthening member state oversight.
IP-Watch, DiploFoundation Offer Shared Internship In Geneva 21/08/2014 by Intellectual Property Watch, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Intellectual Property Watch is pleased to announce a joint internship opportunity with the DiploFoundation/Geneva Internet Platform in Geneva, covering events and issues related to internet governance.
Global Medical Students Call For Shift To Health Over Trade, R&D 08/08/2014 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Universities Allied for Essential Medicines is calling for new incentive models for research and development so that new treatments can be found for neglected tropical diseases to fight antibiotic resistance, and is asking that health issues supersede trade interests.