Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations

Geneva

STATEMENT BY INDIA

Report on the Standing Committee on Copyrights and related rights, delivered by Dr. Sumit Seth during WIPO General Assembly on 4 October 2017

Thank you Mr. Chair

The SCCR is an important committee of WIPO dealing with three issues of critical importance to Member States namely protection of broadcasting organizations; limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives and exceptions and limitations for educational and research institutions and for persons with other disabilities.

These three issues are of great importance to India. Going by the discussions at the previous sessions of SCCR, it would not be inaccurate to state that SCCR is facing some difficulties in finding agreement on how to proceed in its work on these agenda items.

Delegation of India believes that these three issues have not received the equal level of commitment and understanding commensurate to their importance based on the differential socio-economic development of the Member States.

Mr. Chair,

India would like to see the finalization of a balanced treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations, based on the mandate of the 2007 General Assembly.

Mr. Chair,

For India exceptions and limitations are of critical importance for individuals as well as collective development of enlightened societies.

Exceptions and limitations have an important role to play in the attainment of the right to education and the access to knowledge, actualization of which in many developing countries is hampered due to lack of access to relevant educational and research material.

It is unfortunate that absence of adequate will to discuss and develop these exceptions and limitations before SCCR has resulted in a stalemate on all these three important issues.

Inclusiveness and mutual understanding of each other's priorities is essential for the progress. In this spirit of multilateralism, India reaffirms its commitment to engage constructively in negotiating a mutually acceptable outcome on all three issues before the SCCR.

With these words I would like to thank