Meeting to discuss the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Marrakesh treaty.

On Thursday 13th November 2014, stakeholders drawn from various government ministries and non-governmental organisations will meet to discuss the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Marrakesh treaty.

This treaty aims to create a positive concrete impact by addressing the global problem of access to books by 300 million visually impaired persons - majority of who live in developing countries.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide a forum for Kenyan stakeholders to discuss the Marrakesh treaty; agree on collective resolutions and form a national advocacy group that will lobby for the treaty’s ratification as well as the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act.

The Marrakesh treaty is the first Intellectual Property treaty that addresses human rights issues as it seeks to ensure access to published works by visually impaired persons. Access to published works by visually impaired persons is very important for their economic growth and development because only then will visually impaired persons be able to access the same published works as those accessed by sighted persons.

The treaty was adopted in June 2013 in Marrakesh, Morrocco and Kenya signed the treaty then. However for the treaty to come into force, at least 20 WIPO states have to ratify this treaty. So far, only two countries in the world have ratified the treaty. The World Blind Union and other Non-Governmental Organisations were instrumental in the negotiations for this treaty.

For more details on the Marrakesh Treaty please click on this link http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=241683