Intellectual Propoerty Rights

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What is WIPO?

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.

WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland.

See a brief history of WIPO.

Strategic Direction and Activities

WIPO’s vision is that IP is an important tool for the economic, social and cultural development of all countries. This shapes its mission to promote the effective use and protection of IP worldwide. Strategic goals are set out in a four yearly Medium Term Plan and refined in the biennial Program and Budget document.

The five strategic goals defined in the 2006 – 2007 Program and Budget are:

• To promote an IP culture;
• To integrate IP into national development policies and programs;
• To develop international IP laws and standards;
• To deliver quality services in global IP protection systems; and
• To increase the efficiency of WIPO’s management and support processes.

WIPO’s core tasks and program activities are all aimed at achieving these goals.

Observers, NGOs, IGOs

WIPO welcomes the inclusion of stakeholder organizations and interest groups as observers at the formal meetings of Member States. WIPO also seeks to involve NGOs, IGOs, industry groups and all other stakeholders as widely as possible in consultation processes and debates about current issues.

Accredited Observers

Some 250 organizations are currently accredited as observers at WIPO meetings. See the regularly updated list of observers.

• The Paris Union, established by the Convention, has an Assembly and an Executive Committee. Every State member of the Union which has adhered to at least the administrative and final provisions of the Stockholm Act (1967) is a member of the Assembly. The members of the Executive Committee are elected from among the members of the Union, except for Switzerland, which is a member ex officio.
• The establishment of the biennial program and budget of the WIPO Secretariat—as far as the Paris Union is concerned—is the task of its Assembly.
• The Paris Convention, concluded in 1883, was revised at Brussels in 1900, at Washington in 1911, at The Hague in 1925, at London in 1934, at Lisbon in 1958 and at Stockholm in 1967, and it was amended in 1979.
• The Convention is open to all States. Instruments of ratification or accession must be deposited with the Director General of WIPO.