It's 1:47 pm in Geneva, and the meeting
is over. The translators have been released, all recriminations have been
issued, the Chairman has been praised, and nothing has been accomplished.
A factual report of the discussions will be forwarded to the WIPO General Assemblies, but no official recommendation will be made to the General Assembly.
Of course, that may be good or bad, depending on your view. It's good that bad ideas were not agreed upon. It's also good that the clear understanding in the room is that the obstructionists were not the U.S., Group B, or the developed countries, but rather Brazil and Argentina.
It's not even the Friends of Development who were the obstructionists. The majority of the countries in the Friends of Development coalition were interested in compromise. But Brazil and Argentina would have none of it. So in a way Brazil and Argentina have betrayed their colleagues in the coalition.
A factual report of the discussions will be forwarded to the WIPO General Assemblies, but no official recommendation will be made to the General Assembly.
Of course, that may be good or bad, depending on your view. It's good that bad ideas were not agreed upon. It's also good that the clear understanding in the room is that the obstructionists were not the U.S., Group B, or the developed countries, but rather Brazil and Argentina.
It's not even the Friends of Development who were the obstructionists. The majority of the countries in the Friends of Development coalition were interested in compromise. But Brazil and Argentina would have none of it. So in a way Brazil and Argentina have betrayed their colleagues in the coalition.
By the way, it should not be lost on anyone that there are some very compelling World Cup games this afternoon. That is at least one factor, albeit not the major one, why people are in a hurry to get out of here.