Foresight into the Future of WIPO’s Development Agenda

World Intellectual Property Organization Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2010

21 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2010 Last revised: 19 Jul 2012

See all articles by Jeremy de Beer

Jeremy de Beer

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section

Sara Bannerman

McMaster University Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia

Date Written: December 15, 2010

Abstract

The Development Agenda for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was proposed in 2004 to reinvigorate the operations of WIPO, given its mandate as a special operating agency of the United Nations (UN).

Foresight into an array of alternative scenarios is not only warranted but necessary in order to cope with possible developments or, even better, to influence the future. Using the foresight research techniques of scenario building and backcasting, an expert working group met in Prangins, Switzerland, in March 2010 to discuss progress of the agenda’s implementation, and to identify a range of future possibilities and corresponding strategic actions. This article outlines analysis and insights regarding the Development Agenda accumulated over several years of research and meetings, culminating in that retreat. It highlights a number of priorities and possible research directions, particularly in the context of a transition in strategic focus from short to medium and long-term thinking about the impact of WIPO’s Development Agenda on global knowledge governance.

This article outlines, in the first part, the background of the WIPO Development Agenda and where it stands today. In the second part, the authors outline the immediate challenges and opportunities facing the Development Agenda, based on the insights and analyses of the working group, suggesting that the foresighting and backcasting methods used are useful instruments in planning and envisioning the future of the Development Agenda.

Keywords: intellectual property, development, international institutions, foresight research, global knowledge governance

Suggested Citation

de Beer, Jeremy and Bannerman, Sara, Foresight into the Future of WIPO’s Development Agenda (December 15, 2010). World Intellectual Property Organization Journal, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1726153

Jeremy De Beer

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, K1N 6N5
Canada

Sara Bannerman (Contact Author)

McMaster University Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia ( email )

1280 Main St. W.
Hamilton, Ontario
Canada

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