WIPO Diplomatic Conference

Today the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) starts its two week (17th -28th of June) Diplomatic Conference to conclude a Treaty to facilitate access to published works by visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities, in Marrakesh, Morocco.

An IFLA delegation, including representatives from the CLM Committee and the Section for Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities will be present during the negotiations for the Treaty during this time. IFLA representatives will be joined by colleagues from Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) and the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA). Prior to the conference, IFLA and other leading library organisations have issued a statement stressing the importance of a workable Treaty. Libraries will be at the heart of implementing the Treaty and need an suitable framework to best serve their visually impaired and print disabled users. We hope that the coming two weeks in Marrakesh will be successful and that an effective treaty will be concluded.

You can follow the meeting via livestream, textstream or on Twitter (hashtags: #WIPO or #books4blindtreaty). We will be providing more feedback as the Conference continues.