WIPO Assemblies

The main policy and decision making bodies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are the WIPO General Assembly and the WIPO Coordination Committee.  Nineteen assemblies and other bodies of the Member States of WIPO and of the Unions administered by WIPO, traditionally meet in ordinary or extraordinary session at the end of September.  These meetings bring together WIPO’s 184 Member States, allowing them to take stock of the progress in the Organization’s work and to discuss future policy directions.

The Forty-Eighth series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (the Assemblies) will be held from September 20 to 29, 2010,at the International Conference Center Geneva (CICG), 17 rue de Varembé, Geneva.  Formal sessions will run from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm. 

High Level Segment

The Second Ministerial High-Level Segment will take place on September 20 and 21, 2010 during the 2010 Assemblies.

The decision to hold a High-Level Segment in 2010 followed the very positive reaction from WIPO Member States to the first such meeting, which was held during the 2009 Assemblies and attended by over 50 ministers. The meeting provided an opportunity for ministers to exchange experiences, share concerns and express their respective national IP priorities. It was also recognized as an important means of raising the profile of intellectual property issues within senior policy-making spheres, at both the national and international level.

Following consultations with Member States and in line with the preferences expressed by them, the 2010 High-Level Segment will be based on the theme “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences”.

Documents

As a positive contribution to a carbon-free environment and a cost-saving measure, it has been decided this year to make Assemblies documents available on the WIPO website only. They will be posted, in all official languages, as they become available. Hard copies of documents will not be circulated in advance unless specifically requested.

Limited stocks of printed documents, in all official languages, will be available for delegates at the WIPO documents counter, in the CICG. Delegates will be provided, upon registration, with a USB key containing the Assemblies documents.

Webcasting of the Assemblies

The Forty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, including the High Level Segment, will be webcast on the Internet, from September 20 to 29, 2010.

Cultural Events

Two cultural events will be held on the sidelines of the Forty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (the Assemblies).  Delegates will enjoy viewing arts and crafts from the Kingdom of Morocco and the Sultanate of Oman.  The Moroccan exhibition (at the main WIPO building), which features a rich and varied display of Moroccan culture, will be inaugurated on September 20, 2010, at the evening reception marking the opening day of the Assemblies.  Oman’s exhibition (at the CICG), which showcases a stunning display of traditional handicrafts, will be inaugurated on September 21, 2010.