10 November 2016: The World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) held its 18th session, where members considered the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to WIPO’s work. Some developed countries argued that only a few, selected SDGs apply to WIPO’s work, while others noted the relevance of all the Goals, according to an article published by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD).

The CDIP 18th session took place from 31 October to 4 November 2016, in Geneva, Switzerland. Brazil noted that intellectual property permeates all the SDGs, while the EU and the Group of Central European and Baltic States identified Goal 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation) and Goal 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development) as directly linked to WIPO activities. A document released at the 16th Session of the CDIP in November 2015, on ‘WIPO and the Post-2015 Development Agenda,’ had outlined an initial list of SDGs relevant to WIPO’s work.

Several Member States requested a standing agenda item on implementation of the SDGs.

CDIP members agreed that an annual report outlining WIPO’s contribution to the implementation of the SDGs should be prepared, and should include the assistance provided by WIPO to member states upon their request. CDIP members called on its Secretariat to present such an annual report to the Committee. Per the ICTSD article, Brazil with the support of Member States including the African Group, the Asia and Pacific Group, China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Tunisia, and the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) requested to establish a standing agenda item devoted to the implementation of the SDGs in the Committee.

CDIP 18 also approved agenda items related to technology transfer, including maintaining a webpage dedicated to the issue, and engaging on technology transfer in international fora, the article says. In addition, it examined WIPO’s progress in the implementation of recommendations included in the ‘Independent Review of the Implementation of the 2007 Development Agenda Recommendations,’ a set of 45 recommendations adopted by WIPO General Assembly in 2007, including: technical assistance and capacity building; norm setting and technology transfer; information and communication technologies (ICT) and access to knowledge; assessment, evaluation and impact studies; and institutional matters, including mandate and governance.

The CDIP was established by the WIPO General Assembly in 2008 to: develop a work programme for implementing the 45 adopted Development Agenda recommendations; monitor, assess, discuss and report on the implementation of all recommendations adopted; and discuss intellectual property and development-related issues. It is composed of all WIPO member states and is open to the participation of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as observers. [ICTSD Article on WIPO’s Role in Achieving the SDGs– Bridges, vol. 20, no. 38] [WIPO CDIP Webpage] [WIPO and the Post-2015 Agenda: Document Prepared for CDIP 16]