Delegates making their way through the zig-zag of roadworks and deviatons around the Place des Nations, which WIPO overlooks, would have been forgiven for wondering what awaited them on day five. Recent SCCRs have been closing later and later (3:12am last time) and there was a degree of apprehension about what the day would hold.

The 10am scheduled start was 11:40am in reality, with a quick 40 minute round of positive reactions to Thursday’s AI information session from Member States and Observers (who also threw in reactions to different proposals under Other Matters).

At 12:20 the chair suggested a coffee break, but Member States felt they needed time for discussion and there was no sense returning to the room before lunch. This meant 3pm. Which also came and went and plenary resumed some ten and a half hours after the scheduled time.

When they returned, they had two agenda items to close.

The first, agenda item 8, Other Matters, had caused a ruffle on day 4 with distinct lack of unanimity on the proposals on remuneration of audiovisual authors and performers, respectively. This item was closed with no reference to an outcome on that.

Then item 4, election of the vice-chairs, concluded with Mohamed Mehdi Delmi from Algeria and Martin Augusto Cortese from Argentina being elected.

The secretariat then proceeded to read out the summary. Highlights include:

Broadcasting: The splitting of the chair’s text on broadcast into 3 buckets of articles: one with agreement, one with support but refined wording needed (3,4,6, and 10), and one where more in-depth discussions are required (articles 5, 7, 8 and 11 as well as the interlink between Art 6, 7, 8, and 9  and Art. 10 and 15. The chair will now draft a new text to see if differences on these outstanding articles can be overcome and a Diplomatic Conference recommended at SCCR 48 in May 2026.

Limitations and Exceptions: The chair’s summary clarifies which documents form the basis of the Committee’s work and confirms the Committee will work towards finding convergences in line with the 2012 mandate and the work program adopted in 2023

The draft text of the Access Toolkit will be published as document SCCR/47/4 in December 2025 with comments welcome before 27 February 2026.

Other Matters

Copyright in the digital environment: A study on policy or regulatory approaches to the relationship between AI training and copyright and related rules and applicable practices on authorization, enforcement and compensation for use – understanding that the preparation of the study does not imply any commitment on the work plan.

Study proposals on audiovisual authors and performers: The study proposal on the rights of audiovisual authors was approved, the study on performers will be further discsussed at SCCR 48.

Resale Royalty Right: Philippines offered to host a regional meeting.

Further discussions will continue on:

  • Rights of Theatre Directors
  • Copyright Protection of Technical Standards
  • Study on the impact of the creative industries on the economic growth of Member States
  • Study on types of business modelsand economic opportunities created by and through the implementation of technological protection measures.

Inching closer to the end of a looooooooong day, the Chair, inviting Group and Member State comments in writing, and then DDG Forbin, shared some closing remarks of thanks.

And with that, the Chair closed the… no, Cameroon wanted the floor to share their own words of thanks and support the email-submitted statement of the Africa Group.

Peter Labody shared brief thanks (probably a good read of the room), and then SCCR was closed.

The next sessions of the SCCR will take place May 18th to 22nd, 2026, and November 30th to December 4th, 2026.