STATEMENT BY THE NORWEGIAN DELEGATION TO WIPO GENERAL ASSEMBLY 22 SEPTEMBER 2008
BY MR. JØRGEN SMITH, DIRECTOR GENERAL
NORWEGIAN INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE
Norway is very pleased to see the Chair back on the podium and wishes him and the Vice-Chairs the best of luck in guiding this Assembly to a successful conclusion. Further, we would like to commend the Secretariat for its excellent preparatory work for the assemblies.
Mr. President, we are extremely pleased that the Assembly has been able to complete a highly complex, difficult and sensitive election in such a constructive atmosphere. Let me ecco other delegations which have praised you, Ambassador Uhomoibhi, for the wise way you have steered us towards a positive result. We would also like to commend the regional coordinators for their constructive role.
We congratulate Dr. Francis Gurry on his election to the position of Director General of WIPO. We are confident that Dr. Gurry will be the leader that WIPO now truly needs.
We will do our part to ensure that this organization shall further develop its important mission and enjoy the highest measure of trust, both of the users and the public at large. I am pleased to ensure the new Director General of our full support in his endeavor.
We would certainly also express our appreciation to Dr. Idris for his contribution to make the transition as smooth as possible. Dr. Idris will be remembered as the leader of WIPO that put development issues firmly on the agenda. Development issues is now an integrated part of WIPOs agenda, and we trust that Mr. Gurry will continue this work.
On various occasions Norway has expressed the importance of improving transparency, accountability and good governance of the Organization. This delegation would, therefore welcome the constructive work that has been performed in order to satisfy Member States’ monitoring needs and, in particular the implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS). It will, however, be an important task to following up the Desk-to-Desk assessment for further improving the functioning of WIPO.
It is positive to note that the staff of the Internal Audit and Oversight Division has been strengthened and we certainly have expectations with regard to future deliverances.
In respect of the ongoing work on WIPO’s Development Agenda, this delegation would like to emphasize the positive results from the first and second session and underline the need for a consistent approach in the important forthcoming decision-making process..
The lack of progress in the Standing Committee on Patent Law has been of concern to this delegation, thus we are pleased to welcome the resumed work in this area. We find it very important that we can make progress and move these issues forward. These are, indeed, at the core of WIPO’s work.
Mr. Chairman, Norway acknowledges the importance of the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore. We believe that the importance of addressing and solving these issues will of particular relevance for the future development of Intellectual Property Rights.
Concerning activities and developments on a national and regional level, the Norwegian Delegation is pleased to report our accession to the European Patent Organisation effective from 1 January this year. We will also highlight the successful start-up of the Nordic Patent Institute, from the same date i.a. as a PCT-authority. Key elements are quality, efficiency and competitive pricing.
In collaboration with the WIPO Academy the Norwegian Industrial Property Office hosted a group of 14 participants from developing countries in April for a one week training course in trademark law. We are willing to continue to contribute to capacity building in developing countries.
The World Intellectual Property Day was celebrated at the Norwegian Industrial Property Office by a seminar and an exhibition.
By way of conclusion, the Norwegian Delegation will underline its commitment to contribute in a positive and constructive way to the success of this General Assembly.