What are the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO / Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle – OMPI Assemblies Meetings ? Learn more ahead of the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings !
Every year, in Geneva, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) come together for one of the most important gatherings in the field of intellectual property worldwide: the series of meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States. In 2026, this is the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings (A/68), held from 7 to 15 July. To understand the importance of this event, it helps to look at both its present-day role and the history that shaped it.
What the Assemblies of the WIPO Member States are
WIPO's principal decision-making and policy bodies are the General Assembly and the Coordination Committee. Alongside them, a total of twenty-two Assemblies and other bodies of the member states and of the Unions administered by the Organization meet each year, in ordinary or extraordinary sessions. These meetings allow member states to take stock of the Organization's work, approve the budget, appoint the leadership and set future policy directions in the fields of patents, trademarks, designs, copyright and other rights.
The meetings are organized around a consolidated agenda, so that a matter concerning several bodies is dealt with only once, in a coordinated manner. The proceedings bring together government delegates, international and intergovernmental organizations, and observers from civil society and the business community – a category to which InfoCons belongs.
A short history: from the 1967 Convention to today's Assemblies
WIPO was established by the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, signed in Stockholm on 14 July 1967 and entering into force on 26 April 1970. In 1974, WIPO became a specialized agency of the United Nations. The organization's roots, however, are older: they reach back to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883) and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (1886), which created the first international bureaus in the field.
Since the first sessions of the Assemblies, the number of member states has grown steadily, reaching 193 today. As the membership expanded and the systems administered by WIPO diversified – from patents (PCT) to trademarks (Madrid), designs (Hague) and geographical indications (Lisbon) – the agenda of the Assemblies became ever broader. The fact that we have already reached the sixty-eighth series of meetings reflects the continuity and maturity of this process of global governance of intellectual property.
Why it matters for consumers
The decisions taken at these meetings influence how innovation and creativity are protected, but also how counterfeiting is fought – a phenomenon with a direct impact on the safety and trust of consumers. That is why the presence of a consumer protection organization such as InfoCons at these proceedings is essential: it ensures that, beyond the legal and economic dimension, the perspective of the citizen who buys, uses and trusts products is also taken into account.
The Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings thus continues a tradition of nearly six decades of international cooperation, at a time when digitalization and online commerce raise new challenges for the protection of intellectual property and for consumer safety.
InfoCons, a voice for consumers in international forums
InfoCons is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO, the only consumer protection organization in Romania accredited within this international forum. This official recognition places Romania on the global map of organizations that contribute to the international dialogue in the field of intellectual property. Through its participation in WIPO meetings and working groups, InfoCons promotes consumer interests and supports policies that encourage innovation and the fight against counterfeiting.
At European level, InfoCons is an active member of the EUIPO Observatory – the European Union Intellectual Property Office – with an important role within the Civil Society Working Group. At national level, the organization has been part, since 2006, of the Working Group on Intellectual Property Matters, coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice. This involvement on three levels – national, European and international – gives InfoCons a complete perspective on the counterfeiting phenomenon.
The organization's commitment translates into concrete actions: European projects dedicated to young people, large-scale awareness campaigns and an innovative app that puts information within reach of every consumer. All of these share a common denominator: the conviction that respect for intellectual property rights and consumer protection are two sides of the same coin.
In this context, the presence of InfoCons at the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is a natural continuation of nearly two decades of work dedicated to defending consumer interests in the field of intellectual property.
From information to action: the role of the InfoCons app
InfoCons' objective is not only to provide access to information, but also to empower consumers through digital innovation. The InfoCons app – a unique, innovative application – gives them practical tools to identify risks and actively contribute to a safer and more transparent marketplace. Through a simple barcode or QR code scan, consumers can access relevant information about products, right in front of the shelf.
One of the key features is the alerts section, which makes it possible to verify whether a product is subject to official safety alerts issued at European level, for both food and non-food products. The app provides information on the product name, the country concerned, the level of risk, the country of origin, the date the alert was published and an image of the product. At the same time, through dedicated functionalities, citizens can report products or services that may infringe intellectual property rights through counterfeiting or piracy.
Available in 33 languages, the app helps to disseminate consumer protection and intellectual property awareness messages at European and international level. Its educational dimension promotes informed choices and a culture based on responsibility, transparency and originality.
The presence of InfoCons at the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is a concrete demonstration of how digital innovation can support respect for intellectual property rights and protect consumers in Romania and around the world.
Intellectual property and the everyday consumer
Intellectual property is often perceived as a technical subject reserved for lawyers and large companies. In reality, it is present in the life of each of us, every single day. The trademark on a product tells us who made it and guarantees a certain standard of quality; patents make it possible for new medicines, technologies and innovative solutions to emerge; copyright rewards the work of those who create cultural and educational content. When these rights are infringed through counterfeiting or piracy, the first to suffer is often the consumer.
Counterfeit products mean not only economic losses for companies and public budgets, but also a real danger to people's health and safety. Counterfeit toys, cosmetics, car parts, medicines or electronics can endanger consumers' lives, precisely because they are made without respecting quality and safety standards. In an increasingly digital economy, where online commerce erases borders, these risks multiply, and the need for accurate, rapid information becomes essential.
That is precisely why InfoCons has developed a unique and innovative consumer protection app that allows people to check products before buying them, consult European safety alerts and report products suspected of counterfeiting or piracy. Through this digital tool, every consumer becomes an active partner in the shared effort to make the marketplace safer, more transparent and fairer.
InfoCons' participation in the Sixty-Eighth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, through its President Sorin Mierlea, is part of this steady commitment: bringing the voice of Romanian and European consumers to the world's foremost intellectual property forum and turning global debates into concrete protection for citizens.
Signature: InfoCons Consumer Protection and Intellectual Property Department