SouthViews No. 313, 1 October 2026
The WIPO Negotiations on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions Move Towards Clearer Objectives for the International Instrument
By Dr. Viviana Munoz Tellez
The 53rd session of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) in September 2026 moved past a long textual standstill by agreeing to changes to the draft texts on traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, including a new proposed formulation of objectives. This progress reflects growing alignment among the African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) and Indigenous Peoples and local communities, with the Like-Minded Countries playing an important role as a cross-regional group. Building greater convergence among them, in particular on the obligations the instrument will create, will be important ahead of the 2027 WIPO Assemblies.