[Nfbf-l] Statement of the World Blind Union to the WIPO General Assembly September 26, 2013

[Alan Dicey]

Date: September 26, 2013 at 1:01:34 PM PDT
Statement of the World Blind Union to the WIPO General Assembly
FYI,
Please read below the statement from the World Blind Union before the United 
Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) September 26 in New 
York City on the treaty for the visually impaired signed in late June of 
this year, with more details about the next steps required by countries to 
implement the treaty.

Statement of the World Blind Union to the WIPO General Assemblies 2013 
delivered by Christopher Friend       September 26, 2013

Having been a regular attendee at the  WIPO General Assemblies and the 
Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights for the past six years, 
and as a blind person myself, it gives me great pleasure to represent the 
World Blind Union - WBU - to bring this short message to this meeting.

On behalf of all blind and print disabled readers around the world,  WBU 
wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the WIPO Member States and the 
Secretariat for giving us the Marrakech Treaty.

Most of you attending this Assembly will know of the wonderful news from 
Marrakech, in June, that an historic Treaty was agreed to help end the book 
famine faced by visually impaired and other print disabled people.

WBU is sure that the Marrakech Treaty will significantly help in the fight 
to end the book famine in which only a few percent of published works are 
ever available in accessible formats visually impaired people can read 
independently.

We would like to thank most warmly all those who have contributed to the 
successful conclusion of the Marrakech Treaty. It was an agreement that many 
said would never happen; indeed, we also sometimes feared failure. Great 
credit, and our heartfelt thanks, go to the Kingdom of Morocco for its 
excellent hosting of the Diplomatic Conference; and especially to the 
Member States and the Secretariat for working so hard throughout the two 
weeks to achieve agreement on the Treaty text; and to our many friends and 
supporters in the NGO community and a host of others too numerous to name.

Rest assured that the World Blind Union places great importance on the need 
to respect Rights Holders' interests, whilst using the Treaty to improve the 
lives of the people we represent. These two goals are perfectly compatible. 
Indeed, that is why we spent years working at WIPO to achieve the Treaty we 
needed. We will continue to work with authors, publishers and others within 
the intellectual property system, recognising that without them, the 
inclusive world we aspire to will continue to elude us.

No agreement or law is of use unless it is implemented, and we will be 
tireless in our efforts to ensure that the Marrakech Treaty delivers the 
benefits it promises. To this end, WBU has already started campaigning 
around the world for the early ratification and implementation of this 
Treaty. It will not enter into force until 20 Member States have ratified 
it, and the more that ratify, the more effective it will be in helping print 
disabled people to read accessible books that have so far been closed to 
them. WBU urges all Member States' Diplomats and Technical Advisors 
attending this Assembly to encourage your Capitals to ensure a speedy and 
effective ratification strategy in your countries.

Again, we offer our warm thanks to all of you for helping to open a new 
chapter in the inclusion of visually impaired and print disabled people, and 
we look forward to working with you to realise the life-changing 
opportunities the Marrakech Treaty promises.

_______________________________________________