Authorized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly, the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore held an extraordinary meeting, followed by the Preparatory Committee for the Diplomatic Conference on the International Legal Instrument on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources. These meetings took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from September 4-8 and 11-13, 2023, respectively. The meetings involved intensive consultations on the draft International Legal Instrument on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources. The draft is set to be submitted for review at the diplomatic conference to be held the following year, potentially concluding WIPO's over 20-year-long process of building a new international system in the field of genetic resources and traditional knowledge.

Over 500 representatives from WIPO member states, indigenous peoples and local communities, and industry sectors participated in these meetings. The Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, as the only technical unit invited from China, dispatched senior experts in the fields of genetic resources and traditional knowledge to attend the conference, providing technical support for the Chinese government delegation. Recently, the National Intellectual Property Administration expressed its gratitude to our institute in a letter.