[Event Announcement] International Conference on the Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty (To be held on November 13, 2026 / Free Admission)

The Assistive Technology Development Organization (ATDO), in collaboration with the organizer, The DAISY Consortium, announces the "International Conference on the Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty" to be held in Tokyo (Haneda) on Friday, November 13, 2026.

This public international symposium marks the 30th anniversary of the DAISY Consortium. Experts from organizations of persons with disabilities, specialized institutions, and international bodies (such as WIPO) from around the world will gather to discuss and present achievements and challenges regarding information accessibility and the global implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled.

*About the Marrakesh Treaty: Adopted by Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2013 and entered into force in 2016, the Marrakesh Treaty is an international copyright treaty created to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled (ratified by Japan in 2019). Under the treaty, member states establish limitations or exceptions in national copyright laws, permitting the creation and cross-border exchange of accessible format copies without requiring authorization from copyright holders.

The conference will be held in a hybrid format, featuring both in-person attendance at Congress Square Haneda and online streaming via Zoom Webinar. Accessibility services including English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation, sign language interpretation, and real-time captioning will be provided. We look forward to your participation.

■ Overview

Date and Time: Friday, November 13, 2026, 09:30 - 17:00 (Registration opens at 09:00)
Venue: Congress Square Haneda (1-1-4 Haneda Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo, HANEDA INNOVATION CITY / Directly connected to "Tenkubashi Station" HICity Exit via Keikyu Airport Line or Tokyo Monorail)
Format: Hybrid (In-person + Online Zoom Webinar)
Admission: Free (Pre-registration required)
Capacity:
- In-person: 150 participants (First-come, first-served)
- Online: 500 participants (First-come, first-served) *YouTube live streaming may be provided if Zoom capacity is reached.
Accessibility & Languages: English and Japanese (Simultaneous Interpretation), Sign Language Interpretation, Real-time Captioning

■ Program (Tentative)

09:00 - 09:30 Registration

09:30 - 09:50 Opening Ceremony

Master of Ceremonies: Misako Nomura (Secretary General, ATDO)
Welcome Address from Organizer: Maarten Verboom (President, The DAISY Consortium)
Partner Greeting: Joseph Kwan (Vice President for Asia-Pacific, Rehabilitation International)
Partner Greeting: Hiroshi Kawasaki (President, National Association of Institutions of Information Service for Visually Impaired Persons (NAIIV) / Steering Committee Member, Japan DAISY Consortium (JDC))

09:50 - 10:30 Keynote Address 1

Title: "Fundamental Human Rights and Information Accessibility – Activities of the UN CRPD Committee"
Speaker: Hiroshi Tamon (Attorney-at-Law / Member, UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)

10:30 - 11:05 Keynote Address 2

Title: "Cross Borders – The Marrakesh Treaty and WIPO Accessible Books Consortium (ABC)"
Speaker: Monica Halil Lövblad (Head, Accessible Books Consortium (ABC), WIPO)

11:05 - 11:20 Break

11:20 - 11:55 Panel Discussion

Moderator: Hiroshi Kawamura (Vice President, ATDO)
Panelists: Hiroshi Tamon, Monica Halil Lövblad
Key Themes: Achievements of the Marrakesh Treaty implementation, Library Services for Deaf People at the National Library for the Disabled in Korea, standardization and challenges of Sign-sync EPUB

11:55 - 13:05 Lunch Break

13:05 - 14:45 Session 1: "Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty in Developing Countries – Achievements and Challenges"

Moderator: Richard Orme (The DAISY Consortium)
Regional Reports: Asia-Pacific (Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh), South America (Ecuador), Africa (South Africa), MENA (Egypt), Central Asia (Kazakhstan)
Comments & Discussion: Benetech (Ayan Kishore) and others

14:45 - 15:15 Break

15:15 - 16:50 Session 2: "CRPD and the Marrakesh Treaty – Roles of the DAISY Consortium and Stakeholders toward Achieving SDGs"

Moderator: Maarten Verboom
Report 1: DFA (DAISY FOR ALL) Role and Next Steps (Dipendra Manocha / The DAISY Consortium)
Report 2: Authorised Entities and Publishers – European Accessibility Act (EAA) Trends (Maarten Verboom)
Report 3: Production AI Support Tools (ABC Tool Demo)
Report 4: Sign-sync EPUB Standardization and Application (Hiroshi Kawamura / ATDO)
Report 5: SDGs and Marrakesh Treaty Implementation in Developing Countries (Nantanoot Suwannawut / WBU-AP)
Panel Discussion & Summary

16:50 - 17:00 Closing

Closing Address: Shigeru Yamauchi (President, ATDO)

■ Complimentary Hospitality Program (Evening Tour for Overseas Participants)

Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) offers a complimentary evening tour specially tailored for overseas registered participants.

T-3: TOKYO SKYTREE & TOKYO Solamachi

Date & Time: Friday, November 13, 2026 / 18:00 - 21:00
Capacity: 30 participants (For overseas registered participants / Only 1 program per person)
How to Book: Please sign up in person at the Tokyo City Information Desk located near the registration area at Congress Square Haneda on the day of the event.

Tokyo Travel Information:
- Go Tokyo (Official Tokyo Travel Guide)
- About Tokyo

■ Registration

Please register in advance using the online form below (Free Admission):
Registration Form for the International Conference on the Implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty

*Capacity: In-person 150 / Online 500 (First-come, first-served basis)
*Pre-registration is required for both in-person and online participation.

■ Organization & Support

Organizer: The DAISY Consortium
Co-organizer / Domestic Secretariat: Assistive Technology Development Organization (ATDO)
Cooperation: Japan DAISY Consortium (JDC), Rehabilitation International (RI), Disability Broadcasting Council
Supported by: Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau Convention Subvention Program

■ Contact Information

Assistive Technology Development Organization (ATDO) Secretariat
3-15-17-301 Kasuya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0063, Japan
E-mail: info@atdo.jp
TEL: +81-3-6321-9530

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