On October 5-14 this year, the 55th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is taking place in Geneva. In the General Assembly, representatives of 187 member states will address several topics of increased interest for the Organization; will take decisions on topics included in the working agenda consolidated for the purpose of adopting WIPO’s development priorities for the 2016/17 biennium.

Moldova is represented in the General Assembly of WIPO by the Director General of AGEPI Octavian Apostol, H.E. Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova in the Swiss Confederation, Permanent Representative of the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the UN Office Victor Moraru, Deputy Director General of AGEPI Svetlana Munteanu, First Secretary of the Mission of the Republic of Moldova to the UN Office Igor Moldovan, President of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council Dinu Ciocan and member of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council Nicolae Damaschin.

During 10 days, the representatives of WIPO Member States will decide on the development of the international legal framework, including taking of decisions on the Convening of Diplomatic Conferences for the adoption of a Design Law Treaty and a Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations, the adoption of the WIPO Program and Budget for the 2016/17 Biennium, the implementation of the Development Agenda and approval of financial and audit reports, etc.

The 55th Series of Meetings of the Annual Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization was opened by the Director General of WIPO, Francis Gurry. He mentioned that increasing interest in intellectual property worldwide is driving uptake of WIPO’s global intellectual property systems and resulting in a healthy financial state for the Organization.

In his address to the hundreds of delegates of the Member States participating in the meeting, Mr. Francis Gurry referred to the advancements in the integration of infrastructure underlying the worldwide intellectual property system, particularly in developing countries, as well as progress in public-private partnerships with WIPO involvement.

Director General of WIPO noted that in addition to the continued growth of WIPO’s global intellectual property systems – the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Madrid System for the Protection of Marks and the Hague System for the Protection of Industrial Designs –geographical participation has evolved in line with more general economic trends. Thus, Asia now is the main origin of international patent applications, accounting for around 40% of the total, as against 30% for North America and 27% for Europe.

The Director General of WIPO drew attention to the advances in the soft infrastructure that underlies the operation of the intellectual property system worldwide, namely the databases and information technology (IT) platforms, systems and tools.

“The various platforms that the Organization is providing are increasingly forming part of a single global IP infrastructure platform that will, in the coming years, become more integrated.  It will serve the interests of governments, users and the interested public alike by increasing efficiency, cost-effectiveness and transparency, as well as by enhancing the quality of outcomes in the operation of the IP system worldwide”, said Mr. Francis Gurry.

Mr. Gurry also underlined that many of these platforms and systems represent a very good example of the implementation of the goal of the Development Agenda of mainstreaming development in the work of the Organization, because they are oriented to the inclusion of the developing countries and to building their capacity to use and to participate in the IP system.

The full address by the Director General of WIPO may be accessed at http://www.wipo.int/about-wipo/en/dgo/speeches/a_55_dg_speech.html.

The current WIPO Assemblies elected H.E. Ambassador Gabriel Duque, Colombia’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, as Chair of the WIPO General Assembly.

During the current Assembly, at the headquarters of WIPO will be held an extensive program of cultural activities, organized by the Kingdom of Thailand, the Czech Republic, Spain, India, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Georgia and Republic of Korea.

At the same time, in the period 5-6 October, in accordance with consolidated Agenda of the Annual meetings of WIPO, the regional groups and Member States of WIPO presented information with respect to the issues included in the agenda and their priorities with respect to the development and strengthening of the international, regional and national system of intellectual property protection.

Republic of Moldova’s delegation has aligned itself with the statement of the Regional Group of Countries of Central Europe and the Baltic States, to which a party it is, appreciating the work done by the WIPO Secretariat and Member States in ensuring the political and financial stability of the Organization, efforts to further improve institutional governance and registration systems administered by WIPO, etc.. Republic of Moldova’s representatives in the General Assembly of WIPO mentioned our country’s achievements and priorities in strengthening the national system of protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. Statement of the Republic of Moldova was presented to the audience in the second day of the meeting by H.E. Ambassador Victor Moraru.

The work of the current Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of WIPO can be viewed online at: http://www.wipo.int/webcasting/en/assemblies/2015/.

WIPO press release can be accessed at: http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2015/article_0011.html.