The objectives of WIPO, as defined in Article 3 of the WIPO Convention, are “to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among States and, where appropriate, in collaboration with any other international organization, [and] to ensure administrative cooperation among the Unions.”

Article 4 of the WIPO Convention, entitled “Functions,” provides that the Organization shall:

• promote the development of measures to facilitate the protection of intellectual property throughout the world and to harmonize national legislation in this field;
• encourage the conclusion of international agreements designed to promote the protection of intellectual property;
• offer its cooperation to States requesting legal-technical assistance in the field of intellectual property
• assemble and disseminate information concerning the protection of intellectual property, carry out and promote studies in this field, and publish the results of such studies;
• maintain services facilitating the international protection of intellectual property and, where appropriate, provide for registration in this field and the publication of the data concerning the registrations;
• take all other appropriate action.

WIPO's membership includes 182 countries

In general, decision making is by consensus, although different WIPO-administered treaties do provide for different voting requirements in certain circumstances.

WIPO has a mandate to address issues relating to the impact of digital technologies, including the Internet, on the international intellectual property system. Its activities in the fields of copyright, patent, trademark and dispute resolution, are designed to adapt intellectual property laws for the digital environment, to ensure that owners of intellectual property are appropriately protected, and to establish a regulatory environment in the field of intellectual property that ensures confidence, security and trust for owners and users of intellectual property works. The WIPO Digital Agenda (1999) includes the following aims:

• Broaden the participation of developing countries for access to IP information, participation in global policy formulation, and opportunities to use their IP assets in ecommerce.
• Promote adjustment of the international legislative framework to facilitate ecommerce regarding audiovisual performances, the adaptation of broadcasters’s rights, and progress towards protection of databases.
• Implement and pursue the achievement of compatibility between identifiers in the real and virtual worlds, e.g. the elimination of contradictions between the domain name system and intellectual property rights.
• Develop principles governing intellectual property liability of Online Service Providers.
• Promote adjustment of the institutional framework for facilitating the exploitation of intellectual property in the public interest, e.g. the online licensing of the digital expression of cultural heritage
• Study emerging intellectual property issues related to ecommerce and develop norms in relation to such issues.
• Coordinate with other international organizations on issues such as the validity of electronic contracts and jurisdiction.