The Ukrainian delegation requested that russia, as an aggressor, be deprived of all opportunities to enjoy any benefits or honors from WIPO during the 47th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) WIPO.

This request was announced by the First Deputy Director of the IP Office Bohdan Paduchak:

“russian war of aggression against Ukraine undermines the efforts of WIPO and other UN agencies on protection of genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions worldwide, while simultaneously taking advantage of all privileges and abusing IP law. This harms not only the global community but also indigenous people and local communities’’. 

The mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) is to effectively protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions worldwide. Therefore, the Ukrainian delegation called on the IGC to assess the actions of the russian federation, which deliberately has a destructive impact on the history, life and culture of the Ukrainian nation as a whole, as well as on indigenous peoples and local communities within its borders.

“It is 467 days since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation, and more than 9 years since russia illegally occupied the Crimean peninsula. The tragic chain of events set in motion by the annexation in 2014 has had a profound impact on the history and culture of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. According to reports from the UN, over 10,000 people, predominantly Crimean Tatars, left Crimea after the annexation, and Tatar leaders have faced systematic intimidation, harassment and imprisonment.

In violation of international humanitarian law, russia as the occupying power conducts the forced conscription of Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied parts of Ukraine. The mobilization campaign in Crimea targets specifically Crimean Tatars, indigenous people of Crimea non-loyal towards the occupying administration.

Furthermore, russian occupiers have damaged 1,189 cultural heritage sites and cultural infrastructure in Ukraine, with 446 of them being completely destroyed”, – emphasized Bohdan Paduchak.

The Ukrainian delegation’s statement was supported by the representatives:

• Poland – on behalf of the countries of the Central European and Baltic States of the WIPO

• Switzerland – on behalf of the Group B countries;

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

The Ukrainian delegation once again insists on the revocation of russia’s membership in international organizations, and calls for the formation of further vectors for improving the IP sphere in the context of the development of indigenous peoples, local communities and traditional knowledge.

The IGC will take place from June 5 to 9, 2023, at WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, in a hybrid format.

The following issues are also on the agenda of the session:

• providing financial opportunities for indigenous peoples and local communities to participate in the sessions of the Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) (discussions on ensuring the formation and filling of the WIPO Voluntary Fund);

• formation of a Key Terms Glossary Related to IP and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions;

• discussing the future mandate of the IGC;

• protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions: draft articles and gap analysis;

• report on the collection of materials on the regimes of information on genetic resources disclosure and associated traditional knowledge.