On June 10-13, 2024, representatives of the IP Office participated in the 37th session of the WIPO Programme and Budget Committee (PBC) via videoconference. This Committee is the final one before the 65th series of meetings of the WIPO General Assembly.

 

The draft agenda of the PBC session included:

 

• Audit and oversight reporting issues;
• WIPO Performance Report 2022/23;
• Annual Financial Statements 2023, in particular status of the payment of contributions, financial statements and investments;
• Annual report on Human resources;
• Draft proposals for the Capital Master Plan, etc.

 

In the opening remarks, WIPO Director General Daren Tang emphasized the crucial role of intellectual property for the economic development of the countries, the progress of humanity and the need of further development of balanced, inclusive global IP ecosystem.

 

 

Director General also outlined the main directions of WIPO activities for the reporting period, in particular:

 

• communication, consolidation of efforts to raise IP awareness and to explain the potential for intellectual property to improve the lives of everyone, everywhere;

 

• development of balanced and effective international regulatory framework for IP;

 

•  provide high quality IP services, knowledge and data that deliver value to users around the world;

 

• support governments, businesses, communities and individuals to use intellectual property as a tool for growth and sustainable development.

 

In addition, Bogdan Paduchak, First Deputy Director of the IP Office, stressed that it is the Committee’s mandate to take into account the destructive consequences of the actions of the Russian Federation and to make appropriate decisions to counteract these consequences. As stated in WIPO’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2022-2026, “IP must be seen more broadly as a powerful tool for meeting the global challenges that we collectively face, for growth and development, and as a matter of everyday interest to everyone, everywhere”.

 

“Just two weeks ago the printing enterprise of the Vivat publishing company was hit by Russian missile attacks, killing 7 and injuring 21 people. This printing enterprise is one of the largest full-cycle printing complexes in Europe, printing not only books for publishing house but also for nearly all Ukrainian publishers”, Bogdan Paduchak once again emphasized to the international community the devastating daily consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

 

 

He also noted that Russian full-scale war against Ukraine undermines the efforts of WIPO and other UN agencies, while taking full advantage of all privileges and abusing intellectual property rights. This harms not only the international community, but also individual right holders and relevant entities.

 

The representatives of the following delegations supported Ukraine’s statement:

 

• Poland – on behalf of the Central Europe and Baltic States Regional Group

 

• The Netherlands – on behalf of Group B;

 

• Belgium – on behalf of the European Union and its member states.

 

During the session, the following was presented:

 

• Report by the External Auditor (document WO/PBC/37/3),
• Annual Report by the Director of the Internal Oversight Division (document WO/PBC/37/4),
• Progress Report on the Implementation of the Joint Inspection Unit`s (JIU) Recommendations (document WO/PBC/37/6REV),
• WIPO Performance Report 2022/23 (document WO/PBC/37/7), with sections covering key achievements by expected results, performance indicators and summary performance and risk data.

 

The participants also discussed the funding and evaluation of WIPO’s External Offices, including the one in Moscow. The participants of the session stressed the need for a comprehensive, impartial and independent approach, in line with WIPO’s principles and mission, while respecting and ensuring compliance with international law.

 

Bogdan Paduchak called on the international community to “conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the activities, results and very relevance of an External Office in a country whose actions are condemned by UN Member States. It is impossible to fund and promote projects in a country that blatantly violates the international law. Russia has no right to shape further the international agenda.”

 

Read also:

 

How to reduce the impact of war on IP: Ukrainian delegation meets with WIPO Director General Daren Tang

 

For the first time, Ukraine acts as a coordinator of the CEBS regional group during the work of WIPO Committees