A Nigerian delegation has joined other International Negotiators at a Diplomatic Conference convened by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to adopt a Treaty to facilitate access to published works for Visually Impaired Persons and Persons with Print Disabilities.

In a statement signed by its Director General, Ijeoma Egbunike, the Treaty was a culmination of efforts that commenced since 2009 in WIPO to redress the book famine that excluded over 300 million Beneficiary Persons from access to literary and artistic works, 90% of which live in developing countries and of these, 27million in Africa.

The Marrakesh Treaty was said to be a landmark achievement as it symbolizes the first ever Copyright Treaty on Exceptions and Limitations for the Beneficiary Persons, since the adoption of the first multilateral international Copyright Instrument (Berne Convention) in 1886.

After more than a week of intense debate, the Treaty adopted a real triumph of negotiation for the Nigerian delegation that successfully balanced various delicate issues such as interests of Copyright owners, Beneficiary Persons and the Sovereignty of the nation as well as harmonizing Copyright international best practices.

Director-General of WIPO, Francis Gurry described the treaty as a victory for the blind, visually impaired and print disabled, including the multilateral system, adding “with this treaty, the international community has demonstrated the capacity to tackle specific problems, and to agree a consensus solution. This is a balanced treaty, and represents a very good arbitration of the diverse interests of the various stakeholders.”

Head of the Nigerian delegation to the Conference, Mr. Afam Ezekude, who is also the Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), pointed out that the Treaty was a culmination of efforts that commenced 2009 in WIPO to redress the book famine that excluded over 300 million Beneficiary Persons from access to literary and artistic works, 90% of which live in developing countries and of these, 27million in Africa.

The event, which was hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco and chaired by the nation’s Minister of Communications and Government Spokesperson, H.E. Mr. Mustapha Khalfi, would serve in bridging the literary access to knowledge and capacity gap that exist between Beneficiary Persons in the developed and developing Economies stressing that the Marrakesh Treaty is “a Copyright Treaty, a human rights Treaty, and a humane Treaty”.