South Centre congratulates WIPO Members for concluding treaty on access to published works for blind and visually impaired persons

On June 27, a new treaty under the auspices of WIPO was concluded that will facilitate access to artistic and literary works in any media for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled. On 29 June, 51 countries signed the Marrakesh Treaty. The task now is to achieve the 20 ratifications needed to make the treaty operational.

Below is an extract of the South Centre statement delivered at the WIPO Diplomatic Conference on 27 June 2013 by Viviana Munoz Tellez, Programme Manager of the Centre’s Innovation and Access to Knowledge Programme.

The South Centre congratulates all WIPO Member States for having successfully concluded this Diplomatic Conference. This treaty, the first of its kind, is an important event in the history of WIPO.

The treaty denotes the conviction of all Member States to create an enabling international legal framework to ensure that no one, in particular vulnerable populations, are excluded from participation in the knowledge society. Intellectual property rights should not be allowed to become a barrier to access to information and knowledge.

Today an important step was taken to respond to the needs of stakeholders in the copyright system, other than right holders. The treaty establishes minimum terms for limitations and exceptions that should be put in place in national copyright law to eliminate some of the obstacles that persons who are blind, visually impaired persons or otherwise print disabled face in getting access to books and other works in accessible formats. Member States may further implement in their national law other copyright limitations and exceptions. Developing countries and least developed countries should make full use of that discretion.

The South Centre stands ready to assist its Member States, and other developing countries and least developed countries, in the implementation of the treaty.