WIPO SCCR 25 Day 1, November 19, 2012 (Full Text)
Rough transcript of proceedings from WIPO SCCR on Day 1, November 19, 2012.
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>> Chair: Good morning, colleagues, to the 25th session SI would like from the outset to invite the Director General to give his remarks. Director General? >> Director General: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Delegates, a very good morning to you all and welcome to this session, 25th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. As you are all aware, at the assemblies this year that took place in October at the assemblies of the Member States, you, the Member States, reached a breakthrough in the area of Copyright in general, in particular in the area of improving access to published works on the part of visually impaired persons and the print disabled. And that breakthrough consisted of a road map that you established which is hoped will get us to an outcome on this issue in June or July next year. And the road map contained several steps, the first of which was an intersessional meeting which took place a few weeks ago at the end of October to work on the text that we hope will constitute the basis of the new international instrument. As you are all aware, a huge amount of work was put in by all of the delegations to improving that text and to taking it forward, but important issues remained outstanding at the end of the intersessional consultations, very important issues remained outstanding. Today and this week we have the next, the second of three steps, the second step. And we hope that during the course of this week you will be able to improve the text to such a point that all Member States will be confident in the month of December to be able to take a decision to convene a diplomatic conference to conclude a new treaty on this issue in 2013 and at the end of the first half of 2013. We want, of course, a good new instrument and a good new instrument, I believe, is one that will place the visually impaired community and the print disabled in a better position after the conclusion of the new instrument than they are at the moment. And that, I think, should be our touchstone to insure that we improve the situation of the visually impaired and the print disabled. Last week I had the privilege to attend the annual -- not the annual, the quad reason yell assemblies of the World Blind Union that took place in Bangkok. And this issue, of course, was very much under discussion at that meeting, and let me tell you that the expectations on the part of the visually impaired community and the print disabled are extremely high. And meeting those expectations depends only upon you now at this stage. So I would make a plea to you to do it this week, to be able to rise sufficiently above your national positions to see the common good that can be achieved for the international community through the conclusion of a new treaty in this area and to see the improvement that you are able to actually deliver for the visually impaired and the print disabled. So I really make that plea to you. I can't overemphasize the importance of the task that you have before you this week to be able to demonstrate sufficient flexibility, to see the international common good that can be achieved by your work this week. And I think it will be something that will be applauded and greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm all around the world. But it will not happen unless you are able to overcome your particular national positions and to reach a compromise and to show flexibility and to deliver a good outcome. So those are my words. And I really can only plead with you to treat this task with the utmost importance. It is an extremely important step for the visually impaired community and the print disabled, first of all. It's an extremely important step for Intellectual Property. It's an extremely important step for the world World Intellectual Property Organization, and it is an important step for multipropertyism. I wish you every success with your task. I don't forget that we have three other issues on the agenda that require some consideration. I thank all the delegations for the flexibility that they have shown so far in being able to accommodate the needs that we have this week and to enable you to focus on those by allotting extra time to this very important issue of the visually impaired and the print disabled. So I thank you for that flexibility at the outset. I don't forget we have to discuss broadcasting organizations where we are hoping to schedule a diplomatic conference in the year 2014. And the other important exceptions and limitations of libraries and educational materials. So thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to say a few words. >> CHAIR: Thank you, Director General for the remarks and of course for taking time to be with us in in committee. My opening remarks are basically to reemphasize the points that the Director General has already raised. The committee will continue to work on the basis of the mandate of the General Assembly. As you all know, this meeting is particularly crucial step in the road map towards completing the agenda item on limitations and exceptions for visually impaired and print disabled persons. Delegations must work constructively together over the next five days to achieve this objective. You have my personal commitment that I will do everything possible to assist you in this important work. As time is short, I propose to get to work immediately. First I want to announce the updated schedule of this meeting. This morning, taking into account the fact that this is the last committee meeting before the extraordinary General Assembly which will be held on December 17th and 18th to be followed by the preparatory committee, regional coordinators expressed their willingness to devote more time to the issue of limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons, persons with print disabilities while addressing other topics, of course, on the agenda on the equal basis, but of course taking into account the level of maturity. At this juncture, we'll ask the Secretariat to just go through how we have arranged our schedule of work for this week. Secretariat? >> Secretariat: Thank You, Chair. We have agreed that this week we will spend the first three days, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, discussing exceptions and limitations for visually impaired persons or print disabled persons. We will then spend Thursday in the morning talking about the proposed treaty for broadcasting organizations. The afternoon will be devoted to a discussion of other limitations and exceptions that will include time on both libraries and archives and education and research institutions and other persons with disabilities. The schedule for Friday morning eye or for Friday will be the same as that that was posted on the tentative proposed agenda, that is the morning will be left for whichever topic that we discussed earlier in the week needs additional time and attention, and the afternoon will be devoted to the conclusions of the meeting. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you, Secretariat. I just need to also mention that we should -- delegations should prepare and be ready to work until 9:00 p.m. every day if necessary. My note to the procedural agenda items, starting with item 2, adoption of the agenda of this session. The draft agenda for the meeting is in document SCCR/25/1. And a draft annotated agenda has been available for delegations for some weeks now. It should be noted that item 8, limitations on exceptions for educational research institutions, should also include persons with other disabilities. The final agenda should therefor reflect this correction. The committee is now invited to adopt the agenda. South Africa? >> SOUTH AFRICA: Thanks, Chair. My delegation would like to raise a few issues with regards to what the Secretariat has already stated, and that is to recall we are going to spend three days on VIP, the first two days and half a day on broadcasting and half a day on other exceptions and limitations. As much as we will not block consensus on this issue, but wanted to be put on record that it is a concern to us that the SCCR has -- we have a mandate that said all issues are going to be treated equally. And specifically that the Director General has already mentioned that on the broadcasting issue, we are working towards having a diplomatic conference in 2014. So to my delegation, spending half a day on broadcasting doesn't really show commitment to this particular issue and to other exceptions and limitations. And as much as the SCCR has prioritized a VIP issue, we don't have a problem with that; but we expected that in this session we'll devote enough time to discuss other issues, as well. Meaning that we'll go to have a balance between broadcasting, other exceptions and limitations and the VIP. So I'd like this to be put on record that my delegation is concerned that you are spending so little time on broadcasting, taking into account the fact that you also brought in experts from capital to come and advance work on broadcasting and other exceptions and limitations, as well. So spending three hours only on broadcasting and spending three hours only on exceptions and limitations really is a concern to us and we'd like this to be put on record. Thanks. >> CHAIR: Thank you, South Africa. We take note of your point. U.S.? >> United States: Thank you, Mr. Chair, the United States certainly supports the chairman's suggestion on the schedule vis-a-vis the remarks of our distinguished colleague from South Africa. We would like to an sure our colleague from South Africa that we, too, are prepared to have longer discussions on the broadcast treaty, but perhaps we can profitably do this week is have small groups, including the experts they have brought from capital, talk to others who have come who are experts. A lot of useful discussion can be done outside the three hours or outside the half day we would put on this. We just want to assure our colleague from South Africa that we are prepared to work quite a bit within this week informally and within other delegations who are interested in sitting down and discussing the broadcast treaty. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> CHAIR: Thank you. Shall I take it that we may adopt the agenda? Agenda is adopted. (gavel). Item 3, accreditation of new NonGovernmental Organizations. There are no new requests for accreditations, so we may move to agenda item 4, which is the adoption of the report of the 24th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. The committee is invited to approve a draft report SCCR/24/12. This document is only available in English, and translations are under preparation but will not be available this week. Delegations are therefore invited to send any comments or correction on the English version available on the Web to Copyright.mail @WIPO.nt. Comments, corrections should be sent to the Secretariat by Friday November 23rd, Friday, November 23rd. Shall we approve the report? So approved. (gavel). May I now invite Secretariat to make some housekeeping announcements before I invite general statements? >> Secretariat: Thank you, Mr. Chair, at this time the Secretariat only has one announcement which is with regard to the provisional draft list of participants. That list is available outside the room, and we ask you to please submit any updates and corrections to the Secretariat this week by Wednesday so that we can publish a final list by the end of the week. Of course we will add the additional information about people who have signed up during the week, but if there are corrections to the text that's available now, please let us know. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you. This morning, I did have consultations with regional coordinators, and we had reached agreement that we restrict general statements to regional coordinators. So I would invite regional coordinators to make their statements. The floor is open. Belgium? >> BELGIUM: Mr. Chair. Group B would like to thank you and the WIPO Secretariat for the work to carry out this 25th session of the committee. The issues on the agenda are very important for us and we therefore look forward to progress. Mr. Chair, at the outset, we want to provide the following remarks. With regard to the proposal for an international instrument on limitations or exceptions to visually impaired persons, we have actively engaged in extensive discussions at the last session of this committee and during the recent intersessional meeting. We remain engaged to continue the discussions in a constructive manner. The specific problems of visually impaired persons require specific solutions, mindful also of the need to have effective protection of the rights of creators. It is important for all delegations to recognize that this week will determine many of us can return in December with positive instructions from our capitals to agree to a diplomatic conference in 2013. We must all work together to identify the key concerns of different delegations and stakeholders then craft compromises that meet those key concerns. We will need a lot of hard work, creativity and compromise from all sides to complete the work we must finish to move toward a diplomatic conference in 2013. Group B also hopes that substantial progress will be made on the protection of broadcasting organizations. This issue has been the subject of intensive work in previous sessions of this committee we're pleased to have agreed to text in July 2012. The objective is to further in line the work in order to make a recommendations to the WIPO General Assembly of 2013 on the possible scheduling of a diplomatic conference in 2014 -- finally, Group B will continue to participate actively in the discussions we have started on the limitations and exceptions for archives and libraries as well as if ones on educational and research institutions. Here our main aim is to foster an exchange much ideas. We also note that some exceptions and limitations to Copyright are already adequately addressed under existing international conventions. Mr. Chair, I also would like to make an additional comment again for the sake of efficiency we agreed that only Regional Coordinators would make a statement, we'll do so, but we also take note of the fact that some of the members of our group will probably provide written statement that should be annexed to the report. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you. Egypt? >> Egypt: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Egypt is pleased to make the statement on been half of the African group. The African group welcomes the SCCR 2013 work plan according to which WIPO Member States will continue their collected efforts towards concluding a treaty for exceptions of visually -- persons. To be recommended 2013 to the General Assembly and for educational institutions to be recommended by SCCR to the 2013 General Assembly. This work plan has integral part of it efforts and commitment by all Member States to hold a conference in protection much broadcasting organizations by 2014, as well. The African group attaches great importance to the VIP negotiations and looks forward for a successful outcome. As we know, the WHO estimates that 90 percent of the world's blind people live in developing countries, including 7 million persons in Africa. And the estimated numbers of persons visually including blind people and low vision is 20 million people. The comparable number in Middle East is 17 million people. The exceptions for limitations of visually impaired persons are important for Africa and the Middle East and more importantly should be relevant to them and should address the needs and aspirations. The Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights intersessional meeting held on 17-19 October managed to make progress, for example, regarding the definition of the works and persons and the rights to translation. However additional progress needs to be made in order to achieve convergence and to overcome outstanding significant issues to reach an outcome that would allow WIPO extraordinary General Assembly schedule in December to decide on diplomatic conference to conclude a VIP treaty in 2013. There are however key policy questions that need to be resolved in order to pave the way for further progress. They include, for example, the following: Defining the nature of the authorized entities, what actions they would be permitted to conduct on what obligations they would be required to assume. In this regard, special attention should be accorded to provide entities in developing countries which may lack the resources and capacities to assume overly strict administrative rules and procedures or act as enforcement agencies. Secondly, the trigger for developing countries to exercise the exceptions and limitations permitted under the treaty should reflect reasonable price and -- prevailing in developing countries. Thirdly the exceptions and limitations permitted under the treaty would not be impeded or negated buy other -- such as DPM or contract law or create new obligations regarding sovereign discretion by Member States regarding how governments create other exceptions and limitations to address public interest needs nationally. Accordingly, it is critical that the approaching resources be considered under the Berne Convention consistent with the tests specifically fair use and fair dealing, whether in place of or in addition to specific limitations and exceptions in national law. Mr. Chairman, one of the primary goals of the Copyright system is the dissemination of creative works to enhance the public Welfare -- has never been an end to itself and increasingly technological developments have strained the capacity of Copyright law to constrain the ways in which the public access creative work while some important doctrine shifts have occurred in the U.S. and EU, these efforts have yet to be reconciled with the international Copyright system, in particular new compromises that facilitate access to material and scientific research reflect the demands that developing countries have been making since the conclusion of the Paris convention to the Berne Convention. African countries need access to educational materials and resources in order to ensure development of human resources as well as their overall cultural, social and economic development. With regard to the national Copyright system should reflect in historical focus on access to education and which remains critical to the development priorities of African countries. A minimum standard the national harmonization for exceptions and limitations, educational research institutions will both reduce the -- for rightsholders who are vulnerable to increasing threats of capacity licensing combined with new technological disruptions of access controls while accomplishing the interest of African governments to ensure a robust educational environment to support innovation. Mr. Chairman, in this regard, SCCR 25 is also expected to advance the discussions achieved regarding exceptions for libraries, archives, educational institutions and people with other disabilities. The group looks forward that the limited time allocated to libraries and archives is devoted to substantive text-based discussions of the proposed text contained in SCCR/22/8 rather than on the sequence of the clusters national experiences with a view to fulfilling the 2012 GE decision. In this regard, the group looks forward to engaging constructively on this important issues in order to assist libraries and archives to continue their crucial role as custodian much human knowledge and indispensable platforms to facilitate access to information and materials for also sites and communities. The group also emphasizes the importance that the committee should advance text-based negotiations, decision on broadcasting organisation in order to be able to adopt a treaty or the protecting of broadcasting organizations for the conference in 2014. The group would also support an intersessional meeting for the broadcasting issues to be held before the next SCCR session. In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, important juncture in the work of SCra., the African group would like to provide the guiding principles that have served the committee well in the past. To work with WIPO agenda recommendations following a global, transparent and inclusive approach and equal treatment for all exceptions and limitations and acknowledging needs and priorities of developing countries for cultural, social and economic development. The group strongly believes that SCCR should remain committed to these important principles to all issues on the agenda so as to further our common objective for an international Copyright system that is balanced, capable much incentivizing creativity in developing countries. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> CHAIR: Thank you, Egypt. Before I give the floor to Peru, I just want to emphasize two points. One is that I've invited statements from regional coordinators. However, those delegations that wish to make statements may, you know, decide to send in their written statements. And they will be reflected in the report. And, further, that we will at an appropriate time provide an opportunity to end your statements during the course of the meeting. Peru? >> Peru: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. GRULAC hopes that the spirit and enthusiasm, the flexibility and commitment of delegations seen in the Beijing conference will be evident here in this meeting of the SCCR. so that in conformity with the mandate of the assembly, we can get a conclusion on a text for visually disabled persons and people with a print disability. It is vitally important that we get such a text. Aware of the aid this would provide to millions of poor women and children and men worldwide with visual discapacity, the deBates on this issue should enable us to end up with something inclusive, which is helpful for people with disabilities in all states, and therefore for GRULAC, it's also very important that we continue with work on updating the rights relating to broadcasting organizations. We know that this is an issue that has continued to be discussed in this committee. And the issue of archives also needs further investigation and research. Mr. Chairman, GRULAC participated and will continue to participate actively in the work of this committee. On the issue of limitations much exceptions of visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities. We will continue to work this until we get a solution to this and also on the broadcasting issue. Thank you very much. >> CHAIR: Thank you, Peru. I give the floor to Sri Lanka to be followed by Hungary. >> Sri Lanka: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This intervention will be in order to give more time toward substantive work, I take the floor on behalf of the Asian group. Before we start our work, Mr. Chairman, the group would like to express our continued confidence in your able stewardship in steering our discussions, and we would like to thank the Secretariat for their commendable efforts in organising our work for the coming week. Our group would like to also take this opportunity to express our thanks towards the words blind union for their valuable contributions toward these discussions. Mr. Chairman, the Asian group, as every other group and individual present in this room, affords the utmost importance towards the work set before us during the next few days and possibly nights and we recognize that the outcome of this meeting will be of utmost importance for visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities around the world. The group recognizes that a sufficient amount of our time this week will be devoted toward the deliberations on the text on limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons and persons with print disabilities and then towards protection of broadcasting organizations, limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives and limitations and exceptions for educational and research institutions and the group remains committed to these deliberations. Mr. Chairman, the group notes that we are entering what we could call the final phase on the VIP text and the group feels that it is critical fnot essential at this juncture, that we maintain complete transparency in our deliberations within plenary or at informals. While the group understands that during the coming week there will be need for informal discussions to take place with a limited number of delegations, we fell that it is imperative that all Member States can follow these informal discussions. The Asian group is confident that all members will contribute constructively with a have you of further progressing the work at hand. Mr. Chairman, the group recognizes that constructive engagement, consensus building and good faith will be key in the coming days. And we remain committed toward that deliberations and look to your able guidance to take us forward. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Hungary to be followed by China. >> Hungary: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Hungary, on behalf of the regional group of central European and Baltic states would like to welcome you back as the Chair of the SCCR as well as your able Vice Chair. We would like to thank for your personal engagement and to move forward efficiently on all issues on the agenda of the Standing Committee. We like to thank the Director General for his inspiring opening remarks. Our group assigns high importance to all items to be discussed in the course of this week but we attach particular progress towards the work of international instrument for people with print disabilities regarding the work of the protecting of broadcasting organizations. As to the -- for visually impaired persons, you are group ambitious approved at the General Assembly in October. As a first step toward the realisation of that plan, our group with others have engaged actively and with interest in the intensive negotiations during the intersessional meetings. In our view although we have achieved some progress and further clarified positions, we have to redouble our efforts if we want to be in a position to recommend to the General Assembly to convene a diplomatic conference in 2013. We believe that our work in this final phase should concentrate on bridging the gaps by respecting each other's positions. In our deliberations, we should keep in mind that our common aim is to get a balanced, workable and safe system that would improve the published works for persons who are visually impaired or print disabled and at the same time respect the right much right holders and enable the effective control of the distribution of the works. We have a duty to develop a system that is in a complete harmony with existing international Copyright framework and could be easily implemented in national Copyright laws. And in that sense, not prevent contracting parties from using other methods and exceptions and limitations to provide access to works for the benefits of visually impaired persons. Mr. Chairman, our regional group considers that insuring adequate protection at the international level for broadcasting organisation is highly needed and an updating for the 21st Century is long overdue. For this reason, we would like to welcome the important progress made at the SCCR in July and ask for a positive and intensified engagement much all delegations to further improve the single text and this session with the objective of reaching a decision to convene a diplomatic conference on the protection of broadcasting organizations in 2014. The successful outcome of the diplomatic conference of the protection of audiovisual performances is a good example that establishing harmonized level of protection at the international level is still achievable. Finally with regard to exceptions and limitations in favor of libraries, archives, educational and research institutions, we believe that in the current international Copyright framework, the appropriate means are already provided for these institutions to fulfill both their roles both in the analog and digital world; however, we remain open to further beneficial range of views and international experiences and ready to engage in discussions to better understand the concerns raised by some delegations. Mr. Chairman, we are confident that under your strong leadership, we will be able to arrive at the positive outcome this we can, and let me assure you that throughout this session you can count on the constructive spirit and support of all delegation this is our group in your efforts to reach that goal. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you, Hungary. China? >> China: Mr. Chairman, thank you. The Chinese Delegation would like to thank you and also to thank the Secretariat for the efficient and constructive work and the efforts that they have made in this area. We'd like to thank you and to thank the Secretariat for those effort. The Chinese Delegation approves the adoption of this session's agenda, and we express the hope that we will achieve concrete results. With regard to the issue of limitations and exceptions of visually impaired persons, persons with print disabilities, we believe that we have achieved results and we would like to be active in our participation in this issue. We would like to say that on the basis of preliminary comments on technical issues, we'd like to keep the option open to come back with more specific points. We'd like to see a spirit of cooperation and working positively towards this end. We would like the room to consider some of the issues that have remained pending so that we will be able to make substantive progress this time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> CHAIR: Thank you, China. Brazil, your request is for the floor. >> BRAZIL: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have the honour to deliver the statements on behalf of the developing agenda group. First we'd like to thank the Director General Gurry for his encouraged words at the beginning of the session. We also reiterate our trust in your able stewardship of this committee and the commitment of our group to work constructively on the issues to be discussed during the session. I would also like to congratulate the Secretariat of WIPO for preparing the relevant documentation and for organising the meeting. Mr. Chairman, Member States have decided the last session of the General Assembly in October to expedite the work on limitations and exception this is the area of Copyright. And for that end, the GA adopted a clear calendar for all limitations and exceptions comprised the work programme. We respect limitations and exceptions in favor of visually impaired persons. The SCCR has the objective, over the corpse of this session, to further define if working text on the remaining issues. The outcome of this work will be submitted to the General Assembly which will hold an extraordinary meeting in December to evaluate the text from SCCR 25 and to make a decision on whether to convene a diplomatic conference in 2013. We urge Member States to work constructively during the sessions with the same spirit of cooperation and commitment that prevailed in Beijing in order to pave the way for the adoption of a treaty in favor of visually impaired persons in the year 2013. As regards limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives, education and research institutions, and persons with other disabilities, we affirm the importance of moving for ward on the basis of text-based work in a global and inclusive approach taking into account the equal importance of our work programme areas. The document provides that the work being carried out under the work programme will develop not only developing countries but the whole WIPO membership as its base of an could you tell rements shared by important segments much our societies. Mr. Chairman, the DAG also recommends the protection of a treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations. We hope discussions will take place during this session to be effective and productive T. Will continue to guide all -- activities under the areas of competence of this committee. This is a long lesson contribute the SCCR can give to the implementation of the developing agenda recommendations. I thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you. European Union? >> EUROPEAN UNIONThank you, Mr. Chair. And I will speak to the issue of limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons only. Mr. Chairman, the European Union and its Member States would like to thank you and the WIPO Secretariat for the work on exceptions and limitations for visually impaired and print disabled persons. Mr. Chairman, in the last year we make considerable progress to find solution to this very specific problem with a very specific objective: To remove barriers which prevent the access of the visually impaired persons to books and access work formats including by helping the secure monitor the across border of accessible formats. At the last session of this committee we had extensive discussions on the proposal for international instrument on limitations and exceptions based on the comments made by the delegations original groups during the debate tSecretariat prepared the working document SCCR/24/9. The European Union and its Member States actively engage in the work of the intersessional meeting organized by WIPO in October. We have found these discussions very useful as they helped to achieve a better understanding of the positions of the delegations and regional groups we have look forward to continuing their discussion this is a constructive manner. Our objectives for the 25th session of the SCCR for this item are to concentrate the negotiations on the specific needs of visually impaired and print-disabled persons and to achieve a strong convergence of views on the solutions that we need to deliver. We need to advance as much as possible on the text, only a balanced approach will allow the Standing Committee to recommend that the General Assembly convenes a diplomatic conference in 2013. Our goal is clear. We want to ensure that visually impaired and print disabled persons anywhere in the world have the same access to books than any other person. We believe this goal we can reach if we stay on course and target these programmes we have set ourselves to address while being mindful of the need to have effective protection of the rights of creators. Mr. Chairman, the EU and its Member States are now also in the position to negotiate the conclusion of an instrument including a binding treaty. Recall the political commitments of print disabled persons in a balanced manner that does not -- the issues of international Copyright framework. Thank you. >> CHAIR: Thank you for the statements that have been given today. They have been taken note of and will be reflected in the report. As I indicated, those delegations that wish to send in written statements may do so. And they will be reflected, as well. We may now move to agenda item 5, limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons, persons with print disabilities. As indicated buy the Director General, the mandate received by the General Assembly is to continue text-based discussions with the objective of concluding or substantially advancing the work on this text at this meeting. In this regard, you will recall that the committee did advance the text during the intersessional meeting of October 17th-19th and that work is reflected in the revised working document on an international instrument on limitations and exceptions for visually impaired persons, persons with print disabilities working text dated October 19, 2012. This text has been available on the website. I now invite this committee to adopt this document so that it becomes our working text moving forward. Shall we adopt this document? The document is adopted. (gavel). Now, I did hold consultations this morning with Regional Coordinators on how we may advance our negotiations on the text. It was made very clear to me that there has to be a balance between efficiency and transparency and inclusiveness. And in this regard, I propose that in order to accommodate efficiency, to achieve efficiency, that we will work in a smaller configuration of coordinator plus five but also to accommodate the issue of transparency and inclusiveness, we will always start our sessions, morning sessions with a plenary session in order to present the group that is coming from the small group discussion so that all delegations can follow what discussions are happening. So at this juncture, I would adjourn the plenary in order to convene a small group consultation of coordinator plus five. In the consultations of this morning, we had intended to have the meeting in the new building, unfortunately, that room that we had in mind is not available until after 6:30:00 p.m. So we will move to the Uchtagen, because that is the only one that is available at the moment. So I would suggest that we adjourn now and we convene in Uchtenhagen at 11. That's five minutes from now. Plenary's adjourned. (microphone testing). >> CHAIR: Colleagues, there's some housekeeping arrangements. I think we need to do one thing first because we won't be able to start this meeting. I propose that we firstly -- the room. And then the coordinators will come in with their five because if we don't do that, we will not be able to start. So shall we please clear the room? And then the coordinators will come in with their five. Please do not come in with more than five. Colleagues, let's clear the room and then have the one plus five. Each coordinator must confirm which are the five. Could we do this expeditiously, please? Event is not active