Category Other International Orgs

WEF Davos: Who Will Own The Knowledge Produced From “Our” Data By Machines?

Artificial intelligence has succeeded the Internet of Things or the earlier cloud mania as buzzword number one at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum that started today (17 January) in Davos, Switzerland. While ethical questions surrounding the intelligent machines are discussed at length and the question for regulatory steps considered, answers of who will own the knowledge created by machines or intelligent bots vary.

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FAO Postpones New Director For Office In Geneva

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) today announced the postponement of the assumption of duties of the person appointed to become the new director of the FAO liaison office in Geneva. The postponement comes after the government of Peru raised concerns that FAO's appointment of former Peruvian first lady Nadine Heredia Alarcón interferes with a government investigation of corruption and money-laundering against her.

Panel Explores Relation Between Plant Breeders’ Convention And Plant Treaty

When countries belong to several international instruments, some aspects of those instruments may run contradictory to one another. A symposium held recently by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) sought to explore the interrelations between the convention and the international treaty on plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Farmers' rights lie at the intersection of the two treaties and while some find the treaties complementary, some others view them as contradictory on farmers' rights. Meanwhile, farmers themselves have been blocked from participating in deliberations.

Countries Asked To Revise IP Laws Preventing Implementation Of Farmers’ Rights

A global consultation on farmers’ rights recently co-organised by Indonesia and Norway provided recommendations to the international plant treaty, calling for the establishment of an ad hoc working group on farmers’ rights. They also recommended that contracting parties of the treaty revise their intellectual property laws and other legislation that may create obstacles for the realisation of farmers’ rights.

South Centre, FAO Sign Agreement Promoting Tech Transfer, Innovation

The intergovernmental South Centre and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation have signed a five-year agreement to help the global south fight malnutrition, reduce poverty, and address climate change consequences. The memorandum of understanding was signed on the margins of the recent climate change discussion held in Marrakesh.

Standards Symposium Highlights Security, Privacy On Eve Of World Telecom Standardization Assembly

The 2016 Global Standards Symposium (GSS2016) organised by the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Hammamet, Tunisia, this week in its conclusions heavily supported privacy by design and collaboration on privacy issues. The consensus of participants was a little shaky though, with some representatives like the United Kingdom and United States questioning the procedure to approve conclusions immediately after the one day event on 24 October.

Antimicrobial Resistance Needs Research, Regulation, Speakers Say

The issue of antimicrobial resistance has been in the spotlight in recent months as a growing awareness of the threat it represents for humanity has pushed discussions at the multilateral level. This week, the World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization and World Trade Organization organised a symposium on the subject. Speakers discussed needs and potential solutions.