What’s next ? What’s next ? How to move forward ? How to move forward ?

Ahmed Abdel Latif Ahmed Abdel Latif Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Seminar on New Tools for the Seminar on New Tools for the DisseminationDissemination

of Knowledge and the Promotion of of Knowledge and the Promotion of Innovation and Creativity Innovation and Creativity

Bibliotheca AlexandrinaBibliotheca Alexandrina7-8 September 20067-8 September 2006

What’s next ? What’s next ? How to move forward ? How to move forward ? Depends ….Depends ….

Are you an optimist or a Are you an optimist or a pessimist ?pessimist ?

……. We probably need both.... We probably need both...

Challenges facing the A2k Challenges facing the A2k issueissue

• 1) Cross sectoral by nature (affects 1) Cross sectoral by nature (affects science, education, culture etc…). science, education, culture etc…).

• 2) Fragmented constituency 2) Fragmented constituency (Universities, Libraries, Consumers, (Universities, Libraries, Consumers, Government officials etc)Government officials etc)

• 3) Insufficient economic based 3) Insufficient economic based evidenceevidence

• 4) Urgency 4) Urgency

What has been achieved in the What has been achieved in the past two years is significantpast two years is significant …. ….

1) Framing the issue (A2K) 1) Framing the issue (A2K) 2) Reaching out to different 2) Reaching out to different

constituencies and networking between constituencies and networking between themthem

3) Putting it on the global agenda 3) Putting it on the global agenda 4) Bringing forward specific norm setting 4) Bringing forward specific norm setting

proposals (Draft A2K treaty)proposals (Draft A2K treaty)

Yet much remains to be done to Yet much remains to be done to keep up the momentum…keep up the momentum…

• 1) Building support in the South by 1) Building support in the South by further awareness raising and further awareness raising and sensitizationsensitization

• 2) Reaching to “friendly” business2) Reaching to “friendly” business• 3) Disseminate “best practices” and 3) Disseminate “best practices” and

national experiencesnational experiences• 4) Achieving concrete results in 4) Achieving concrete results in

multilateral foramultilateral fora

How to go about it …?How to go about it …? • 1) Norm setting…1) Norm setting…

necessary …yet elusive and necessary …yet elusive and uncertain uncertain

soft law first ? soft law first ? • 2) Which is the right forum ? 2) Which is the right forum ? • 3) Learning from successes in other 3) Learning from successes in other

areasareas

What to do in the meantime ?What to do in the meantime ?

• Awareness raising Awareness raising • Maximize the use of Exceptions and Maximize the use of Exceptions and

Limitations in IP legislations Limitations in IP legislations • Highlight options and flexibilities Highlight options and flexibilities

available to countries available to countries • Coordination and integrated national Coordination and integrated national

policy makingpolicy making