From May 13 to 24, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a diplomatic conference on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge in Geneva, Switzerland, successfully approving the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. Lu Pengqi, Deputy Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), led the Chinese government delegation to the meeting.

The Treaty was approved after a 25-year negotiation. It includes provisions on the disclosure requirement, sanctions and remedies for patent applications that are based on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. It establishes and coordinates with an international disclosure requirement mechanism related to genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources in patent applications among countries, which will promote the efficacy, transparency and quality of the patent system in relation to genetic resources and traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.

The Chinese government delegation was composed of members from the CNIPA, the National Copyright Administration, and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The delegation actively participated in the negotiation and played a constructive role in the successful adoption of the Treaty, making positive contributions to the formulation of international IP rules within the WIPO framework.(Translated from CNIPA Website Chinese Version)