The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Mon. agreed -...

Geneva, the General Assembly said it welcomed the proposal, first floated by Argentina and Brazil and now supported by other member states, that WIPO revamp its charter and bring its work program into line with its status as a U.N. body. The assembly decided to convene meetings between regular sessions to examine the proposal, as well as documents from other countries. WIPO said it would try to schedule the meetings in conjunction with the 2005 session of the Permanent Committee on Cooperation for Development Related to IP. The meetings will produce a report by July 30, 2005, for consideration at the Sept. 2005 general assembly, WIPO said. Its international bureau was directed to begin “immediate arrangements” with other relevant multilateral organizations, including the World Trade Organization. The Civil Society Coalition (CSC), which represents 26 nongovernmental organizations from 12 countries, said it looked forward to participating in the debate on a development agenda. CSC urged that a treaty currently under discussion on access to knowledge and technology include, among other provisions: (1) Ways to promote openness, including open standards for software and Internet development, open databases, and other approaches that remove barriers to innovation. (2) Minimum exceptions to copyright and patent laws to protect libraries, the visually-impaired, consumers and Internet technologies. Last month, WIPO found itself on the receiving end of strong criticism by consumer groups for straying from its responsibilities as a U.N. agency and protecting IP rights to the exclusion of human rights (WID Sept 14 p1). WIPO officials said then they were open to change.