[Plenary] Today's IGF at 13:00: Consumers International meeting on A2K

[Jeremy Malcolm]

In 2008 Consumers International has launched two related projects to  
improve Access to Knowledge for consumers. The broader project, funded  
by Ford Foundation, aims to bolster consumer organizations’ voices  
worldwide in trade negotiations and other forums where consumer  
interests are being marginalized through one-sided intellectual  
property (IP) regimes. The main outcome will be the development of a  
Global Consumer Dialogue on A2K and could lead to future CI campaigns  
on communications rights.

The second project, funded by the Open Society Institute (OSI), aims  
to produce an Access to Knowledge Watch List, which will identify  
countries whose IP policies and practices are harmful to consumers.  
This Watch List will be used as a counterbalance to the United States'  
Special 301 Report, which is an annual report highlighting those  
countries that supposedly do not provide strong enough protection for  
the interests of US intellectual property owners.

Consumers International invites all its members and friends to attend  
an information and networking meeting at which these important new  
projects will be introduced, and the draft criteria for the Access to  
Knowledge Watch List will be released, ahead of their finalisation  
later this month.

Date:	Friday 5 December 2008
Time:	1:00pm
Venue:	Room 7,
Hyderabad International Convention Centre

This meeting is not listed on the official agenda for the IGF, so to  
make sure that you do not forget, please mark your diary now!

-- 
JEREMY MALCOLM
Project Coordinator
CONSUMERS INTERNATIONAL-KL OFFICE
for Asia Pacific and the Middle East	

Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global  
campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in  
115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer  
movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. For more  
information, visit www.consumersinternational.org.