Report on the WIPO's IGC 35 held in Geneva, Switzerland

WIPO’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) concluded a week-long session on March 23, 2018. Engabu Za Tooro (Tooro Youth Platform for Action was represented by the Executive Director, Stephen Rwagweri) Participants at WIPO in Geneva (EZT ED in green suit) This was the first session to address genetic resources under the 2018-2019 mandate. Delegates discussed and revised the Consolidated Document Relating to Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources (“Rev. 2”), which will be submitted to the Thirty-Sixth Session of the IGC, taking place from June 25 to 29, 2018. It was also agreed that an ad hoc expert group on genetic resources be organized on June 24, 2018, prior to the Thirty-Sixth Session of the IGC. The decisions and a more detailed summary of the Thirty-Fifth Session of the IGC are available online. In the margins of the session, WIPO unveiled two new public resources: Documenting Traditional Knowledge – A Toolkit:  A publication presenting a range of easy-to-use checklists and other resources to help identify and manage intellectual property issues and risks related to documenting traditional knowledge; Adventures of the Yakuanoi – Navigating Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property:  An animation telling the story of the Yakuanoi people – a fictitious indigenous community – as they navigate through the key issues regarding intellectual property and traditional knowledge. More information about WIPO’s work on traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and genetic resources.