(WIPO GA) (Geneva, hybrid, 7-15 July 2026)
By Dr. Metka Potočnik (she/her/hers), Senior Lecturer in Law, Wolverhampton Law School
IIPSJ attended the 68th World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assemblies (GA), in their capacity as the WIPO Accredited Observer. This year online, IIPSJ participated in the official hearings at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva, with the Associate Director for International Programmes, Dr Metka Potočnik, attending the length of the proceedings. These assemblies brought together another record number of delegates from Member States, and Accredited Observers. All documents (see here) and sessions are available for viewing (see here). The opening address of the Director General Tang can be read in full, here. We heard that World IP Day in 2027 will be dedicated to IP and Fashion, with the 2026 celebrations dedicated to IP and Sports.
IIPSJ attended the GA sessions this year online. IIPSJ continues to take the GA meetings as an opportunity to build strategic partnerships with Member States and other stakeholders, interested in creating access, inclusion and empowerment for under-represented creators and innovators in the global eco-system. IIPSJ contributed to the discussion in writing (contact us for the full statement, which will be included in the GA report), and in the session, with Dr Potočnik making an oral statement under Agenda #4 on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in the afternoon session (for the Chair’s introduction, view here, at 14:54:59, and for the statement, view here, at 14:55:17).
With much of the conversation directed at new technologies and generative AI, it was encouraging to witness DG Tang’s commitment to “…keeping the human spirit of innovation and creativity alive.” WIPO launched its Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Interchange (AIII Initiative) on 17 March 2026, and according to WIPO “As AI systems operate across sectors and borders, existing infrastructure — often developed for specific uses in different industries — faces new challenges. But effectively deployed infrastructure also presents an opportunity to chart a path forward through those challenges, as it has for prior disruptions of the intellectual property system. AIII is a neutral panel on AI for creators, rights-holders, developers, and other experts to exchange ideas and explore practical solutions.” As highlighted in our statement, IIPSJ welcomes WIPO’s work on gender equality in IP systems, but we agree with several Member States that more needs to be done, including among the senior leadership at WIPO. Furthermore, we also call for more institutional dialogue, with organizations commanding specialist knowledge, such as The UN Commission on Status of Women (CSW), which is “the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality, the rights and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946.”
During this GA session, many Member States also alluded to the upcoming 20-year anniversary of the Development Agenda in 2027 and WIPO’s work at the Committee on Development and IP (CDIP). The discussion saw a range of priorities among Member States, with several calling for CDIP’s programmes and expertise to be more mainstreamed, while a few Member States did not support this, and argued that other committees, especially the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) and Standing Committee on the Law of Patents (SPC), must focus on the promotion and protection of IP only. There was a distinct disagreement between the place of discussions around Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources, and whether these should be confined to Intergovernmental Committee (IGC), or not. For IIPSJ recent participation at IGC, see here. While the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge was adopted on 24 May 2024, it is not yet in force, and many Member States want to progress the work in the area, through conversations in SPC, and the Advisory Committee on Enforcement (ACE).
IIPSJ is continues to contribute to future discussions in WIPO, with the aim of building a more inclusive WIPO eco-system. The IIPSJ team are working towards a meaningful participation across all WIPO’s committees, especially SCCR, CDIP, ACE and IGC. If you are interested in contributing to IIPSJ work in this space, do contact the IIPSJ directly.
