WIPO IGC 53: Negotiations advance, despite major differences on Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions
Traditional Knowledge

WIPO IGC 53: Negotiations advance, despite major differences

The 53rd session of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC 53) concluded in Geneva on 25 September 2026 with incremental progress on the negotiating texts. But differences persist over the substance, scope and methodology of the negotiations, including whether traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) should be brought together in a single negotiating text.