Opening Statement by India on behalf of the Asia and Pacific Group at the reconvened 4th Session of Committee on WIPO Standards, delivered by
Dr. Sumit Seth, First Secretary (Economic)
                                                     (21 March 2016)

Thank you, Madam Chair

India has the honour to deliver this opening statement on behalf of Asia and the Pacific Group.

We are happy to see that the 4th session of the Committee on WIPO Standards has been reconvened after a gap of almost 2 years. Our group is hopeful that under your able guidance we would be able to make progress in this session. We would like to thank the Secretariat for the support provided by them in the preparation of this meeting.

 Madam Chair

At its fourth session, held in May 2014, there was an absence of consensus on the draft agenda in particular Agenda Item 4, the Committee on WIPO Standards agreed to adjourn the session on the last day after completing informal discussions on all agenda items related to technical work.

There has been a series of informal consultation meetings after the last session was adjourned. Our group would like to put on record our appreciation for the Vice Chair and the Facilitator for CWS consultation, Ambassador Alfredo Suescum for playing a key role in conducting numerous informal consultations and persuading the regional groups to bridge their position gap and arrive at a consensus, without which it would not have been possible to reconvene this session.

Madam Chair

The Committee on WIPO Standards is a collaborative platform for discussing and reaching agreement on WIPO Standards, their revision and development, as well as on other matters relating to industrial property information and documentation.

In the framework of international cooperation promoted by WIPO in the field of industrial property information and documentation, standardization efforts have resulted in over 50 WIPO Standards, Recommendations and Guidelines related to patents, trademarks and industrial designs.

Asia Pacific Group believes that Technical Assistance and Capacity Building is very important for the developing countries, in the overarching context of the core mandate of this Committee which is revision and development of WIPO Standards relating to intellectual property information.  

Madam Chair

Most of the members of the Asia Pacific Group believe that the mandate and work of CWS has a direct relationship with the Development Agenda. Activities of the Committee on WIPO Standards have a significant impact on capacity building and thus, it should be considered as a relevant body and report on its contribution to the effective implementation of the Development Agenda to the General Assembly, particularly with regard to the DA recommendations on technical assistance and capacity building, and the recommendations concerning norm setting.  

For Developing countries and LDCs, technical assistance and capacity building is of utmost importance and without which the norm setting exercise of this Organisation would have little or no relevance.

WIPO’s Development Agenda has a crucial role to play in the activities of this Committee for supporting the framework of IP system in the developing countries and LDCs. The report of International Bureau on WIPO’s work on dissemination of Intellectual Property standards information is the first step in this direction.

Madam Chair :

The Group has been fully engaged in the informal consultations held in past and we will continue to do so in future. Our group is willing to show flexibility respecting the spirit of multilateralism and consensus building mechanism. We hope that Member States would be able reach at an agreement during this session of the CWS on the coordination mechanism.

Asia and the Pacific Group looks forward to play a constructive role in the discussions of this committee. 

 I thank you, Madam Chair once again for the opportunity.