The 63rd series of meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s General Assembly of member states had been held in Geneva from July 14 to 22, 2022.
During the first day of meetings, following the opening address and the adoption of the agenda, Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, introduced the main data from the report about the World Intellectual Property Organization’s work and the challenges it faces in its operation.
The agenda
The agenda of the Sixty-Third Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (Information provided by WIPO) are:
Opening of the Sessions
- Opening of the Sessions (A/63/INF/1 Rev.)
- Adoption of the Agenda (A/63/1) (A/63/2 Prov.3)
- Report of the Director General to the Assemblies of WIPO
- General Statements
- Election of Officers (A/63/INF/2)
Governing Bodies and Institutional Issues
- Admission of Observers (A/63/3 Rev.)
- Draft Agendas for 2023 Ordinary Sessions (A/63/4)
- New Electoral Cycle of the Officers of WIPO Assemblies and other Bodies (A/63/5 Rev.)
WIPO Committees and International Normative Framework
- Reports from WIPO Committees:
- The Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) (WO/GA/55/1)
- The Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SCP) (WO/GA/55/2)
- The Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT) (WO/GA/55/3) (WO/GA/55/3 Corr.)
- Matters Concerning the Convening of a Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Design Law Treaty (DLT) (WO/GA/55/4) (WO/GA/55/11)
- The Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) and Review of the Implementation of the Development Agenda (WO/GA/55/5)
- The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) (WO/GA/55/6) (WO/GA/55/11)
- The Committee on WIPO Standards (CWS) (WO/GA/55/7)
Program, Budget and Oversight Matters
- Reports on Audit and Oversight
- Report by the Independent Advisory Oversight Committee (IAOC) (WO/GA/55/8) (A/63/7)
- Report by the External Auditor (A/63/6) (A/63/7)
- Report by the Director of the Internal Oversight Division (IOD) (WO/GA/55/9) (A/63/7)
- Report on the Program and Budget Committee (PBC) (A/63/7)
Staff matters
- Reports on Staff Matters
- Report on Human Resources (WO/CC/81/INF/1) (WO/CC/81/3)
- Report by the Ethics Office (WO/CC/81/INF/2)
- Amendments to Staff Regulations and Rules (WO/CC/81/2)
Global Intellectual Property Services
- WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, including Domain Names (WO/GA/55/10)
- Madrid System (MM/A/56/1)
- Hague System (H/A/42/1)
- Lisbon System (LI/A/39/1)
Other Assemblies and Treaties
- Budapest Union Assembly (BP/A/39/1)
Other Matters
- Assistance and Support for Ukraine’s Innovation and Creativity Sector and Intellectual Property System (A/63/8)
Closing of the Sessions
- Adoption of the Report (A/63/9)
- Closing of the Sessions
63rd series of meetings of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s General Assembly of member states
According to Mr. Tang, during the past year(s), the operation of WIPO has been suspended in many areas due to global challenges such as the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in supply, and most recently the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which led to Russia nearly declaring withdrawal from the global IP community.
However, in these difficult times, IP has accelerated its development to embrace the hardness and expand, grow stronger than before, most notable in the development of certain technological and digitalization innovations.
Despite the challenges, intellectual property can be a driving force in the creation of new jobs, the attraction of investments, and the expansion of businesses.
Mr. Daren Tang emphasized that the number of PCT patent applications reached a peak in 2021, while the number of international Madrid and Hague system trademark and design applications continues to rise in the double digits.
You can see a list of International IP Firms here.