AGEPI representatives participate from 12 to 16 July 2021 in the 32nd session of the Program and Budget Committee (PBC) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In the conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current edition of the meeting is organized in hybrid format with the physical and remote participation of delegations, through the Interprefy platform specially created to provide an opportunity for all representatives of the Member States to attend meetings of the WIPO Assemblies, including in conditions of restricted mobility.
During the 32nd session of the PBC, decisions on pressing issues of the organization that cannot be postponed will be addressed and taken. These include topics related to the operation of WIPO in pandemic conditions, personnel and security issues, the planning of the financial activity of the unions managed by WIPO, and also the examination of audit and financial reports.
In the opening of the current session, WIPO Director General Daren Tang presented to the Member States the vision of WIPO’s management on the organization’s development over the next five years and reported on WIPO’s sound short-term financial situation, informing participants of the efforts made by the organization for the intellectual property (IP) to contribute to the recovery of humanity after the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the first day of the Committee, Mr. Tang also presented to the Member States his budget proposal for the 2022-2023 biennium, proposing a prudent increase in the organization’s expenditure of 3% (for a total of 790.8 million Swiss francs), while the forecast for revenue growth is 8% (951.8 million Swiss francs).
The Director General clarified that the increase in expenditure would primarily serve to strengthen WIPO’s digital transformation process, as well as to ensure adequate resources for WIPO’s infrastructure and services. Digitization will be accompanied by changes in the way WIPO operates, with more initiative left to officials, leading to stronger internal collaboration and a more dynamic work culture. It also includes a 4.5% increase in expenditure on development projects, which represents 18.5% of the organization's total budget.
Subsequently, Member States were invited to take note of the Medium-Term Strategic Development Plan (SDP) (2022-2026) which confirms the organization’s commitment to focus on its traditional areas of competence, such as the development of the international regulatory framework, the provision of global intellectual property services and prioritization of WIPO’s medium-term strategic activity areas.
The proposed SDP goes beyond the technical and legal aspects of IP, and WIPO’s medium-term vision is to bring intellectual property closer to the common man, so that it becomes part of personal aspirations and life as a whole.
Over the next few days, several topics related to the organization’s activity and budget will be discussed, including topics related to the operation of WIPO in pandemic conditions, WIPO’s participation in the work of the UN Sustainable Development Group, the methodology for allocation of income and expenditure by union administered by WIPO, revised policy on languages, as well as other personnel and security issues, planning of WIPO Committees and Unions activity, as well as examination of audit and financial reports, etc.