Description
Book SynopsisAs a 'Specialized Agency' of the UN, the World Intellectual Property Organization aims to be the premier global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information and cooperation. Whilst many individuals, firms, institutions and governments know and use WIPO services, the ways in which it functions, how priorities are set and decisions made are less well-understood. Indeed, a diversity of WIPO's stakeholders and member governments express frustration that WIPO's governance is not only complex but at times opaque.
This practical guide offers a unique insight into how WIPO is governed, described in clear, readily accessible terms for policymakers, scholars and stakeholders. The guide reviews the origins of WIPO and sets out its current functions and activities, presenting a framework for analysing WIPO's complex governance system. The core of the text will improve the reader's understanding of WIPO in five thematic areas:
- Legal foundations, mandate and purpose
- Decision-making structures, processes and practices
- Financial arrangements (such as income sources and the budget process)
- Mechanisms for accountability and control of the Secretariat (such as policies on oversight, audit and evaluation)
- Transparency and external relations.
The text is accompanied by a number of valuable appendices, including key documents that have, to date, not been readily available to the public.
Written by a leading WIPO commentator, The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): A Reference Guide is the first comprehensive reference book to illuminate the nuts and bolts of WIPO governance. It will prove an invaluable and handy resource for those who interact with WIPO on any level, as well as to researchers seeking an introduction to how the organisation works.
Trade ReviewI can confidently say that this reference guide is by far the most comprehensive book to date on WIPO and its very complicated and unique governance structure. It is an important, timely and much-needed resource that will very quickly become a classic in the field. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck's book will be of immense benefit to practitioners, including WIPO staff, government officials and IGO/NGO observers following WIPO matters, as well as academics and students of international organizations --Edward Kwakwa, Legal Counsel, WIPO
For anyone interested in the international intellectual property system Carolyn Deere Birkbeck's reference guide is an obligation. This is not simply a guide describing the organic and normative structure of this future-defining UN Organization, but it's a practical guide to its functioning, culture and dynamics. With amazing detail and insightful information, Deere Birkbeck has written the ultimate guide to WIPO. It should be in every Geneva diplomat and delegate's book shelf. --Maximiliano Santa Cruz, Chilean National Institute of Industrial Property, Chile
An invaluable resource for deciphering the WIPO institutional enigma. Must-have reading for the Geneva diplomatic corps and others that seek to influence international IP policy. --Frederick M. Abbott, Florida State University College of Law
Table of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. What is WIPO and What Does its Secretariat do? 3. WIPO’s Governance System: An Analytical Framework 4. WIPO’s Legal Foundations, Mandate and Purpose 5. WIPO’s Decision-making Structure, Processes and Practices 6. WIPO’s Financial Arrangements and Budget Process 7. Mechanisms for Control, Oversight and Accountability of the WIPO Secretariat 8. External Relations and Transparency 9. Conclusion Index
