News: A new GRAIN report says free trade agreements are being used to impose strict IP rules on seeds, threatening farmers’ rights and biodiversity worldwide.
About Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
- It is an is an independent intergovernmental organization having legal personality that protects new plant varieties through breeders’ rights.
- Purpose: It provides and promotes an effective plant variety protection system to encourage new plant varieties for the benefit of society.
- Established by: It is established by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the “UPOV Convention”).
- Established in: It is established in 1961.
- Enforced in : The Convention entered into force in 1968 and was revised in 1972, 1978, and 1991.
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- Members: It has over 80 member countries.
- India is not a member, but it has its own national protection system.
- Governance
- Council: It is composed of representatives from member states and is the highest authority responsible for governing the Union.
- It meets annually to determine the budget, program, and general policy.
- Committees and Secretariat: The Council is supported by various committees, including the Consultative, Administrative and Legal, and Technical Committees.
- The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary-General which carries out the day-to-day work.
- Relationship with WIPO: By agreement, the WIPO Director General is UPOV’s Secretary-General, and WIPO provides administrative and financial services.
- Council: It is composed of representatives from member states and is the highest authority responsible for governing the Union.
About 1991 UPOV Convention
- It strengthens breeders’ exclusive rights over propagating material and requires authorization for key acts.
- It narrows farmers’ freedoms, allowing only limited on-farm reuse set by national laws.
- It prohibits exchange and marketing of protected seed without authorization.
