From pdh@u.washington.edu Sun Jul 26 14:03:29 1998 Received: from jason04.u.washington.edu (root@jason04.u.washington.edu [140.142.78.5]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id OAA58072 for ; Sun, 26 Jul 1998 14:03:28 -0700 Received: from saul9.u.washington.edu (pdh@saul9.u.washington.edu [140.142.82.7]) by jason04.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id OAA28688 for ; Sun, 26 Jul 1998 14:03:27 -0700 Received: from localhost (pdh@localhost) by saul9.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.04) with SMTP id OAA15711 for ; Sun, 26 Jul 1998 14:03:27 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 14:03:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Department of Zoology To: indknow@u.washington.edu Subject: WIPO Roundtable on Intellectual Property and Indigenous peoples (fwd) Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: MULTIPART/ALTERNATIVE; BOUNDARY=------------5AEFFAC82C0DBECC5209D6AB Content-ID: This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. Send mail to mime@docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info. --------------5AEFFAC82C0DBECC5209D6AB Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=iso-8859-2 Content-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1998 22:22:22 +0200 From: Elsbeth Vocat To: puebloindio@datanetworks.ch Subject: WIPO Roundtable on Intellectual Property and Indigenous peoples WIPO Roundtable on Intellectual Property and Indigenous Peoples Geneva, July 23 and 24, 1998 Opening Adress by Mr. Roberto Castelo, Deputy Director General WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished participants, it is with the greatest pleasure that I welcome you to a first-ever event within WIPO, the Rountable on Intellectual Property and Indigenous Peoples. Under the leadership of the new Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris, the roundtable marks the beginning of a dialogue between the member States of WIPO and the world's diverse indigenous populations, local communities and other holders of traditional knowledge. This dialogue is motivated by the fact that the time has come for sharing information and experience concerning protection of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples, and for increased awareness of the mechanisms which the existing intellectual property system may offer for the enhancement of such protection. This dialogue is, we believe, an appropiate and necessary step forward for the international system of protection for human creativity and ingenuity, of witch WIPO is a custodian. The Rountable is part of a new program at WIPO, which will be carried out primarily by the Global Intellectual Property Issues Division. Conceived by Dr. Idris and approved by the Member States of WIPO only in March of this year, the Division has as part of its duties the exploration and investigation of the needs and expectations of potential new beneficiaries of intellectual property, that is to say, groups with--for a variety of reasons--have not had full exposure or access to the intellectual property system. Indigenous peoples, local communities and holders of traditional knowledge have been identified by WIPO as the first group of potential new beneficiaries. The Roundtable is only one of the activities related to new beneficiaries which will be undertaken in the 1998-99 biennium. Other activities include a series of fact-finding missions to parts of the world with significant indigenous populations or significant bodies of traditional knowledge, pilot projects related to the documentation of traditional knowledge formations, and exploration of the ways in which information technology may serve as tool for protection and conservation of traditional knowledge. These activities will be undertaken in partnership with WIPO Member States, with sister organizations in the United Nations system and with NGOs having expertise and experience to bring to bear. All of these activities, including the Roundtable, will provide a basis for provision of information to the Member States of WIPO on ways that the needs of indigenous peoples, local communities and holders of traditional knowledge may be better served in regard to itellectual property. Based on the information provided, the Member States will then decide on appropiate next steps. A few words now concerning the Roundtable itself. First, we must acknowledge with gratitude the invaluable assistance and contribution of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and in particular Mr. Julian Burger of the UN Center for Human Rights. It was with the assistance of Julian and his team that we were able to spread the amount of money we had for this meeting to as many people as possible. With their assistance, we sponsored the attendance of the more than 40 indigenous persons who were already invited by the High Commissioner's office to its Annual Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which takes place next week. We also wish to single out the contribution of Mr. Alejandro Argumedo of the Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Network, who generously aided us in opening the lines of communication to indigenous groups and in providing advice on the organization of the meeting. The Roundtable is intended, first and foremost, as a forum for indigenous peoples and their representatives to share experiences and aspirations concernig the protection of traditional knowledge by means of intellectual property. Thus, following this morning's session, in which brief presentations on the formal intellectual property system will be given by WIPO colleagues, the meeting will consist of contributions by indigenous persons, local communities and holders of traditional knowledge, or their representatives. Specifically, presentations will be made concerning efforts and initiatives to protect traditional knowledge in Africa, Europe, Latin America and the South Pacific, and, in a new approach for WIPO, under the guidance of Chairman Lars Anders Baer, an opportunity will be provided for statements from the floor by indigenous persons to present their views on how the intellectual property system might serve as a vehicle for advancement of respect for traditional knowledge formations, cultures and ways of life. Without further delay, permit me to introduce the persons who are with me on the podium, many of whom need no introduction. First, it is a deep personal honor to welcome Dr. Erica-Irene Daes, Chairperson of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, who will momentarily deliver an Opening Address to the Roundtable. Dr. Deas has worked tirelessly for the rights of indigenous peoples, and she has played a critical role in promoting understanding of the issues to be dealt with in order to achieve meaningful progress towards implementation of such rights. Next I introduce and welcome Mr.Lars Anders Baer, who is the Vice President of the Sami Council, and who has the double rol as a speaker and Chairman of the Roundtable. I am also pleased to extend a personal greeting to the speakers, Mr. Atencio Lopez of the Asociacion Napguana, Mr. Antonio Jacanimijoy of the Coordinadora de las Organizaciones de Indigenas de la Cuenca Amazonica (COICA), Dr Mongane Wally Serote, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Arts, Culture, Languages, Science and Technology of the Parliament of South Africa, and Ms. Aroha Mead, Manager, Heritage and Indigenous Issues Unit, Ministry of Maori Development, Wellington, New Zealand. Each of these speakers will share his or her personal perspective on how intellectual property, and protection of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities, may find common basis for evolution, in order that all human creativity may be respected. In closing my remarks, permit me to note that the Preamble to the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization establishes the mandate of WIPO as "in order to encourage creativity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world". It is the view of Dr. Idris, the Director General, that the international intellectual property system must be democratic if it is to survive, that the system's benefits must be available to all. It is my hope that this Roundtable may advance appreciation and understanding of the fact that human creativity springs from many different sources of inspiration, and achieves expressions in many different forms. I also hope that we may begin to see a path forward towards ensuring that the benefits of all human creativity, wherever and however generated and maintained, may be protected, respected and shared according to commonly-recognized and -respected principles. Thank you very much. --------------5AEFFAC82C0DBECC5209D6AB-- .