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Panellists:

Professor Edward Kwakwa, Assistant Director General, Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector, WIPO

Professor Peter Yu, Regents Professor of Law and Communication and Director of the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University

Moderator: Professor Miriam Allena, Professor of Environmental Law, Bocconi University.

Objectives:

Further to the COVID Crisis, it is now generally admitted that sustainable development in all its aspects (including economic, social, cultural, environmental aspects) has become an urgent priority for mankind. This is why, as Organizers of the Global Digital Encounters, we considered a priority to dedicate the current Global Digital Encounter n°10 to» Fostering a Dynamic Intellectual Property System Based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)». Indeed, IP plays a key role in economic, social and cultural development of all our countries. How can and will IP contribute to meeting these basic human needs, largely summarized in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda 2030? How the current IP system will /may be affected by the Sustainable Development Goals? Verbal rhetoric on the SDGs took place as soon as these objectives were created, with some countries highly mobilized in concrete actions and others being approving them without taking much action. As one of the very few positive lessons learned from the COVID pandemics, it can be noted that in this moment large number of countries in the world, as well as the European Union, are embarking in far more voluntary policies that would contribute to better meeting the SDGs: if the IP System can play an active role on this, how will the IP system be transformed positively or affected by the impulse of meeting SDGs? Mankind, States, and thus Legislators, are therefore facing unprecedented complex challenges. Which meanings might be expected from this evolution /revolution? Would there be space for diverse scenarios, such as further and diverse IP international harmonization? World renowned Speakers will provide a global picture of this positive evolution for the IP world under a deeply transformed post-crisis world and will elaborate on possible future scenarios.