The following intervention was delivered by Brazil on behalf of the Development Agenda Group at the Forty-Second (22nd Extraordinary) Session of the WIPO General Assembly on 17 December 2012.
BRAZIL: Thank you, Chairman. I’m making this statement on behalf of the Development Agenda Group. Member States have today the opportunity of taking a historic step in WIPO. We are here to decide on whether or not to convene a Diplomatic Conference in 2013 to conclude a Treaty on limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons. Currently, there are around 300 million people with visual disabilities in the world. The great majority of them living in developing countries. Today, less than 5 percent of published works are available in a special format. The Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights has been making significant progress on the working text containing the substantive provisions of Treaty over the last sessions of the SCCR. The Development Agenda Group commends Member States and groups for their efforts and constructive engagement in this process. There is a firm and shared commitment to solve the remaining issues. Agreement on them is within which. The work accomplished so — is within reach. The work accomplished so far has created all the necessary conditions for this General Assembly in an extraordinary session to take a firm and positive step to the benefit of visually impaired persons, a Treaty that promotes access to works in special format for the blind people by means of a workable mechanism for those work on the ground. It’s an extraordinary that this organisation can make to civil society and public policy objectives.The Development Agenda Group fully supports the convening of a Diplomatic Conference for visually impaired persons in 2013 and encourages other groups and delegations to do so. After so many years, there is hardly any reason for any Member State to say no to June 2013.
Thank you.