The First Session of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) of WIPO is held recently in WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. A Chinese delegation consisting of members from the SIPO, National Copyright Administration and State Administration for Industry and Commerce attends the session.

It is the first session of CDIP with the main tasks including election of officers, adoption of agenda and consideration of the work program for implementation of 45 adopted proposals. After five days’ discussion, the session achieves progresses to certain extent. All member states have deliberate discussions on the implementation of the six adopted proposals concerning technology assistance and capacity construction, and decide to submit them to the secretariat for human resource and financial demand evaluations.

The discussion on development agenda reflects the concerns of the majority of developing and underdeveloped countries. They make efforts to bring the issue of development into the overall framework of WIPO. The practice will be of practical significance for vast developing and underdeveloped countries to strive for larger policy and legal space.

CDIP is a newly established permanent body especially responsible for the issue of development under WIPO. In 2004, some member states of the Group of Friends of Development (FOD) such as Brazil and Argentina propose a development agenda at a WIPO member conference. After that, three meetings of Intergovernmental Committee and four meetings of the Provisional Committee on Proposals Related to a WIPO Development Agenda (PCDA) are held when the development agenda is not in session. In 2007, WIPO Assembly adopts the 45 proposals submitted by PCDA and decides to establish CDIP to be responsible for the implementation of these adopted proposals.