Main provisions and the advantages of the Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties discussed in the IPA CIS headquarters

The seminar “Significance of the Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties” finished its work in the Tavricheskiy Palace.

The event was co-organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the IPA CIS Council Secretariat.

Acting Secretary General of the IPA CIS Sergey Antufiev opened the meeting. He wished participants successful deliberations and fruitful exchange of views.

“The Seminar is another milestone towards the long-term cooperation between the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Our joint efforts are based on the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in 1998. As part of this cooperation, representatives of the IPA CIS have been frequently involved in the training seminars organized by the WIPO. The WIPO provided valuable assistance in discussing intellectual property protection issues and drafting model legislative acts, for instance, the revised version of the Model Law on Protection of Copyrights. Now we are looking forward to developing our partnership and signing Agreement on Cooperation”, said Secretary General.

“The Marrakesh and Beijing Treaties are aimed at the protection of human rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Several CIS countries have already signed the treaties. I hope our joint work will increase the number of signatories to the treaties”, added Sergey Antufiev.

The aim of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities is to protect the interests of people with disabilities and their rights of access to information. The objectives of the Seminar are to promote the significance of the treaties and to facilitate further expansion of their country membership.

The seminar was attended by Evgeniy Sesitsky, Program Officer, Department for Transition and Developed Countries of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Jorgen Blomqvist, Associate Professor of the University of Copenhagen, and members of the IPA CIS Permanent Commissions on Social Policy and Human Rights, on Culture, Information, Tourism and Sport, and on Science and Education.