Writers & Directors Worldwide Accreditation to WIPO

Writers and Directors Worldwide is delighted to report that, earlier today, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) plenary has approved our accreditation as official observers.

This formal “observer status” will allow us to attend meetings of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), actively participate and lobby governments. It is a major step in the campaign to increase the visibility of creators and have their voice heard.

The SCCR was set up in 1999 to examine matters of substantive law or harmonization in the field of copyright and related rights. It is composed of all member states of WIPO and/or of the Berne Union; and, as observers, certain member states of the United Nations (UN) which are non-members of WIPO and/or the Berne Union, as well as a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Writers and Directors Worldwide is now one of these observer bodies.

The application process took a few months, but the successful outcome today paves the way for greater involvement of creators in global policymaking, and for a stronger pro-copyright voice in Geneva.