From May 30 to June 5, 2025, the 51
st
session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC/51) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Republic of Armenia was represented at the session by a delegate from the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Economy, who actively participated in the discussions aimed at strengthening international cooperation in the field of protection of traditional knowledge and genetic resources. During the event, the Armenian representative held several informal meetings with delegations from other countries, discussing the potential application of intellectual property tools to safeguard traditional knowledge and genetic resources.
As a result of the Committee’s meetings, a decision was made to extend its mandate for another two years. The session also addressed draft articles of the WIPO treaty on “Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources,” which are scheduled to be submitted for adoption at the upcoming WIPO General Assembly meetings in July 2025.