SC Statement – WIPO DLT Diplomatic Conference, November 2024

South Centre Statement to the WIPO Diplomatic Conference to Conclude and Adopt a Design Law Treaty

11-22 November 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The South Centre hopes that the Diplomatic Conference will be able to carry out negotiations in a spirit of compromise and understanding to close outstanding issues in a way that will lead to a treaty and regulations that are balanced and address the interest of all parties, including developing  countries. Today, as we stand on the threshold of adopting a globally harmonized framework for industrial design registration, it is crucial that the treaty reflects the diverse realities of all member states. For developing countries, the DLT should not only simplify procedures but also safeguard the unique needs of their SMEs, artisans, and indigenous communities. The South Centre calls for a balanced DLT that ensures policy space for critical safeguards that are essential to address disparities in access to design protections and which contains the required binding commitments to technical assistance. By introducing flexible rules on grace periods, making optional divisional claims and digital requirements, enabling disclosure requirements for designs from traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, and excluding a substantive rule on the term of protection, WIPO members can achieve a treaty and regulations that are fairly balanced for all contracting parties.