This is the general statement delivered by the representative of the World Blind Union today (September 29, 2009) at the WIPO General Assemblies.
WBU statement:
The World Blind Union is the worldwide organisation representing the interests of 160 million blind and partially sighted persons in 177 member countries.
Currently only 5% of all published works are produced in accessible formats which visually impaired and other print disabled people can read, such as large print, braille and audio. We describe this as a “Book Famine”. Most of the works that are available in accessible formats are to be found in a few specialist organisations around the world. These organisations have scarce resources. To maximise these and increase the percentage of books available to print disabled people, these organisations need to be able to legally share their books across
national borders. However, due to the national nature of copyright law, they are unable to do so.
On Tuesday Mr Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General,described to the General Assembly the two initiatives under WIPO auspices that can help solve this problem. He said
“Following the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, a Stakeholders’ Platform has been established and a treaty proposal has been tabled on access to published works on the part of the visually impaired.”
The World Blind Union strongly supports both the work with rights holders in the “Stakeholders’ Platform” and the treaty proposal that Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay tabled in May at the 18th SCCR. These complementary activities are both essential to a workable and meaningful solution to the “Book Famine”. In respect of the Treaty Proposal , WBU warmly endorses Brazil’s General Statement to the WIPO General Assemblies, delivered by H.E. Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, Head of the Delegation, of Brazil. The Ambassador stated that, and I quote:
“achieving progress on talks about a legal instrument that makes access to education and culture possible for the visually impaired will be the ultimate test for the capacity of WIPO to live up to the values of the United Nations and to contribute to the attainment of the Millennium development goals. We must continue to work towards an effective convergence of the international systems for the protection of human rights and of intellectual property.”
The World Blind Union agrees, and millions of print disabled people around the world are waiting for the fruits of this labour. We urge all States Parties to work with us on both initiatives and so help us realise our “right to read” as reaffirmed by the GRULAC region, Australia, India and Malaysia.