Stevie Wonder To Perform For Blind Treaty Negotiators In Marrakesh

Stevie Wonder will live up to his promise and perform in Marrakesh on Friday. The popular musician promised a concert to negotiators once they concluded the treaty that gives better access to books for the blind and visually impaired.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said in a statement that over 600 negotiators and 186 member-states approved the new pact on Thursday. Wonder sent in a video for the negotiation meetings earlier this week, promising a performance once the treaty was approved.

“This is a legacy, a gift to future generations,” he said in the video. “So let’s finalize a new agreement that opens doors to the world’s written treasures and moves towards a future where there are no barriers to the expansion of knowledge and enjoyment of culture.”

He went on to use lyrics from one of his hit songs to express his promise.

“Let’s get this signed, sealed, delivered, and I’m yours,” Stevie Wonder added. “Do this and I will come to Marrakesh and we will celebrate together.”

With the treaty now in place, the 63-year-old singer will perform at the Palais des Congres in Marrakesh, a major city in Morocco. The concert will be held for participants of the diplomatic conference.

The new pact gives the visually impaired much more reading materials as it requires ratifying countries to adopt laws that will permit the reproduction and distribution of books in formats such as Braille, according to Reuters.

The pact will be known as the “Marrakesh Treaty,” and the WIPO Director-General Francis Gurry said this is a “balanced treaty” that “represents a very good arbitration of the diverse interests of the various stakeholders.”

The treaty has overcome copyright issues that made it difficult to improve published works in formats that are accessible and easy for the disabled to use. Stevie Wonder is surely excited about the news and he’ll be celebrating when he jams out on Friday.

[Image via Flickr | Cliff]