10 October 2016 — The Philippines joined the international community in welcoming the entry into force of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. The Marrakesh Treaty is a groundbreaking copyright treaty that is expected to enhance access to literacy by persons with disabilities.
The Marrakesh Treaty entered into force on September 30, three months after Canada, deposited its instrument of accession. The treaty seeks to provide an international framework which addresses the “book famine” present throughout the world, and aims to alleviate this lack of access through the provision of an additional limitation or exception to copyright laws, such as the reproduction and distribution of public works in a manner that is, like Braille, accessible to those with visual impediments.
The Treaty also reinforces the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and recognizes the need to enable persons with disabilities to fully enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms by giving them access to the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, to health and education, and to information and communication.
“The Philippines considers this development a significant stride in providing a balance between Intellectual Property rights holders and the right of the sector of the public with disabilities, a shining example of how intellectual property can be used as an instrument for democratizing access to information,” said Ms. Josephine R. Santiago, Director-General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and head of delegation to the ongoing 56th General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in her remarks.
WIPO is a specialized U.N. agency tasked to protect and promote intellectual property rights.
The Philippines is working towards its accession, the work for which began in 2013 when the Philippines amended the Intellectual Property Code to include reproduction or distribution of published articles or materials in specialized format as one of the limitations of copyright. Accession to the Treaty is expected to benefit more than three million visually impaired, reading-impaired, and otherwise print-disabled Filipinos who have no access to published books.
According to the World Health Organization, there are 285 million people estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 million have low vision. Majority live in developing countries. Meanwhile, WIPO conducted a survey in 2006 that revealed how less than 60 countries had limitations and exceptions in their respective copyright laws to make special provisions for visually impaired persons.
Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the U.N. and Other International Organizations in Geneva, also lauded the entry into force of the Marrakesh Treaty.
“The Marrakesh Treaty is not only a victory for the global development agenda but also clear proof of how the international community can successfully come together, despite their differences, in concerted effort to enhance the lives of our peoples,” she said. END