Radklao Inthawong Suwankiri, Deputy Government Spokesperson, has announced that the Ministry of Commerce has proposed a negotiation framework for the upcoming World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) meeting focused on genetic resources.
The meeting, scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland from May 13th to 24th, aims to promote international intellectual property cooperation and protect Thailand’s genetic resources.
The foundational documents for these talks have been updated to incorporate significant new elements that were not aligned with the previously approved cabinet framework. These include points related to informal negotiations and broader genetic resource protection. Consequently, the Thai Ministry of Commerce has organized a task force to review and revise the negotiation framework.
The task force resolved to update the negotiation framework based on the previously approved cabinet framework, modifying it to suit current conditions while maintaining key principles and adding new points beneficial to Thailand, as well as reducing certain elements to enhance flexibility in negotiations.
The Deputy Spokesperson emphasized that this meeting is a critical opportunity to showcase and protect Thailand’s genetic resources on a global stage. An international agreement on intellectual property would provide Thailand with guidelines to fully protect and utilize its genetic resources.
Thailand, with its high biodiversity, is a major global source of genetic resources. The WIPO IGC meeting serves as an essential platform for presenting and advocating intellectual property issues that will help Thailand secure protection and benefits from its genetic resources internationally. (NNT)
