Topic: International Intellectual Property Protection
Country: Russia
Delegate Name: Emma Ristau
School: Royal Oak High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Russia position papers GLIMUN 2017 committees
The Russian Federation, as a signatory to over 27 international IPR agreements, recognizes the integral facilitatory role intellectual property protections have in dynamic technological development. As research and development expands, Russia accepts that international IP law must, too. For nearly the past 40 years, Russia has been working to evolve its own IP laws in tandem with the changing technological landscape, culminating in the establishment of Russia’s specialized IP Court in 2011. Russia stresses that the work done here in the Sixth Committee, and in any UN committee, must promote nondiscrimination, inclusivity, and mutual benefit for all parties. We must consider the threshold at which IP framework is too strict and punitive for mutual benefit to be realized to its greatest extent. What made the TRIPs agreement so revolutionary, after all, was its comprehensive, enforceable nature struck a balance with its broad-based structure. IPRs can be worthwhile mechanisms for sustainable development and a more transparent multilateral trade system, but when IP protections on an international scale are tightened too far, IPRs can detract from inclusive development. An unscrupulous approach to international IPR can have protectionistic effects, destroying the very multilateralism we seek to promote. On the whole, the international community is rapidly developing technologically, but we cannot forget that each country has a distinct technological narrative. For developing nations, stronger IPRs have not been proven to spur invention nor do IPRs automatically guarantee a more favorable investment climate. In fact, for those agriculture-based developing nations, stricter and more expansive IPRs can inhibit further scientific discovery. More comprehensive IPRs for plants and animals disrupt flows of genetic resources and, with developing nations’ R&D capacities being mostly agricultural, such a disruption could block development. The Legal Committee must recognize these kinds of nuances in innovation narratives around the world if international IP protection is to be truly inclusive. The Russian Federation is constantly working to match a rapidly moving world with appropriate, internationally lawful IPRs. The Sixth Committee’s work regarding IP must reflect an understanding of different innovation contexts and promote open, inclusive, and sustainable development. Russia cannot merely suggest a “loosening” or “strengthening” of IP law, as there are a number of complexities to account for. We look forward to working with the Legal Committee to direct the global IP trajectory toward a more mutually beneficial, development-oriented state.
