[Commons-Law] Questions on the Development Agenda

[Shishir K Jha]

Must thank Prabhu Ram for the posting of two articles on the Development
Agenda.

It is just very amazing why India is not openly supportive of the
Development Agena.

I remember reading about India's role at the time of Casablance meet and
was very puzzled. In an earlier WIPO meet at Geneva when the Development
Issue was brought up, it seems that though India was not openly supportive
of the "agenda", it still was rather sympathetic. Something has radically
changed between that WIPO round at Geneva and Casblanca.

Dr. Mashelkar's role is particularly intriguing. On the one hand his joint
authorship of the London based CIPR [along with Prof. Carlos Correa and
others] suggests that he cannot be averse to issues of development while
on the other hand his viewpoints expressed at a few public forums, that I
have attended, suggests a reluctance or at best great ambivalence in
validating the viewpoints expressed in the CIPR. [See CIPR at
http://www.iprcommission.org/graphic/documents/final_report.htm]

Questions: Why was Dr. Mashelkar made the chair of the Casablanca session?
Why is India playing such a questionable role at WIPO? Is it the result of
a well thought out position by the Ministeries and policy makers or is it
largely the maneuvering of few influential individuals?

This is all quite dis-heartening. Too much is riding on the future
possibilities of WIPO for India and the world for us to not take a more
pro-active and supportive role in the development agenda.

I hope some others could illuminate the dark corners of Indian policy making.

Shishir K. Jha


> A group of developing country sponsors of the Development Agenda
> proposal issued a statement criticizing the Casablanca consultation, in
> part because it went beyond the Secretary-General’s mandate from the
> General Assembly. The co-sponsors of the original proposal to establish
> a Development Agenda at WIPO were: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, the
> Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Peru, Sierra Leone,
> South Africa, Tanzania and Venezuela. At the meeting, developing
> countries will seek concrete proposals on implementing the agenda, an
> official said.