In October 2002, the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on Intellectual Property
Rights (IPRs) and Sustainable Development launched the Series
of Bellagio Dialogues on Intellectual Property and Development
in response to concerns that certain trends in the formulation
of international intellectual property (IP) policies may be
detrimental to economic, technological, social and cultural
development as well as poverty eradication.
The Series has gathered a diverse group of specialists,
government experts and members of international and non-governmental
organizations that meet in their personal capacity to assess
current international trends on intellectual property and development.
They are aimed at strategic discussions and the identification
concrete recommendations that could contribute to the formulation
of development-oriented IP policies. Two Dialogues have been
organized since 2002.
First Dialogue
Towards Development-Oriented Intellectual Property Policy:
Setting the Agenda for the Next Five Years (November 2002)
The future of IP in the multilateral trading
system;
The challenge of new treaty development and
harmonization;
The promotion effective national policy formulation;
The integration IP policies in development
strategies;
Second Dialogue
Towards Development-Oriented Intellectual Property Policy:
Advancing the Reform Agenda (October 2003)
Latest developments in the IP field;
TRIPS-plus standards and parallel multilateral,
regional and bilateral negotiations;
Technical assistance in the field of IP and
development;
Transfer of technology and technological capacity
building.
The organizers have considered useful to make
available all the relevant material of the Dialogues including
agendas, participant lists, background papers, conclusions,
and informal reports of the meetings. One outcome of the Dialogues
was the launching of the Frati Initiative with the view of initiating
a process of follow-up and monitoring to the ideas and suggestions
made during the Dialogue.
