South Centre

The Intellectual Property (IP) Quarterly Update, published on a quarterly basis by the South Centre and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), was launched in April 2004. The aim of the IP Quarterly Update is to facilitate a broader perspective on international IP negotiations and processes by providing analysis and a summary of relevant developments in multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral fora. In addition to the WTO and WIPO, there are other multiple fronts of discussions and negotiations on IP. These other fora range from international organisations, such UNESCO, FAO, WHO and UNCTAD, to regional and bilateral negotiations in the context of free trade agreements (FTAs). These processes constitute an important part of the international IP system and require critical engagement by developing countries and others stakeholders including civil society. The Quarterly Update is therefore a vehicle for raising awareness as well as capacity development.

In each Update, there is a focus piece with respect to a significant topic in the IP and development discourse to demonstrate the importance of the issues in different fora and the risks of lack of coordination between the various negotiations.

Current Issue

Third Quarter 2009:

Section I: Focus Piece “An International Legal Framework to Protect Traditional Knowledge and Folklore – More Talk at WIPO or Negotiations Finally Underway?”

This piece discusses the new mandate of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) that was renewed by the WIPO General Assembly IN 2009 and identifies challenges that lie ahead in the future work of the IGC under the new mandate for text based negotiations towards an international legal instrument or instruments for the effective protection of GR, TK and TCEs. It points to the need for greater coordination on the part of developing countries between themselves and with their national stakeholders to overcome these challenges and also stresses on the need to ensure that the work of the WIPO IGC complements the work currently undertaken on related issues in other multilateral fora, particularly the WTO negotiations on the relationship between TRIPS and CBD, and the CBD International Access and Benefit Sharing Regime.

Section II: Summary of major developments in the third quarter of 2009 on IP related issues in multilateral organizations including UNFCCC, WTO, WIPO, WHO. CBD, FAO, regional and bilateral free trade agreements, national legislations, and other related processes like ACTA and G8.

 Click here to read the 3rd 2009 Issue

Past Issues