Transcript WIPO CONFERENCE ON BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR MOBILIZING RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT GENEVA, NOVEMBER 5 AND 6, 2009 WIPO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION WITH LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: VARIOUS INITIATIVES UNDERWAY AT.

WIPO CONFERENCE ON BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
FOR MOBILIZING RESOURCES FOR
DEVELOPMENT
GENEVA, NOVEMBER 5 AND 6, 2009
WIPO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION WITH
LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: VARIOUS
INITIATIVES UNDERWAY AT WIPO
INCLUDING IP NEEDS ASSESSMENT :
WIPO Cooperation for Development
with the Least Developed Countries
LDCS IN EACH OF THE REGION?
LDCS MEMBERS OF WIPO CONVENTION?
WIPO COOPERATION WITH THE LDCS, VARIOUS
INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN INCLUDING NEEDS
ASSESSMENT?
African LDCs 1971-2009
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The original list African LDCs:
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1971-Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia,
Guinea, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda,
Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Upper Volta
(Burkina Faso) Total=16
1975- Central African Republic, Gambia (18)
1977-Cape Verde, Comoros (20)
1981-Guinea-Bissau (21)
1982-Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and
Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo (26)
1986-Mauritania (27)
1988-Mozambique (28)
1990-Liberia (29)
1991-Madagascar, CDR, Zambia (32)
1994-Eritrea, Angola (34)
(1994-Botswana Graduated)
2001 Senegal
2008-Cape Verde-graduated,
Total Africa= 33
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African Least Developed Countries (33)
1. Angola
2. Benin
3. Burkina Faso
4. Burundi
5. Central African
Republic
6. Chad
7. Comoros
8. Congo
9. Djibouti
10. Equatorial Guinea
11. Eritrea
12. Ethiopia
13. Gambia
14. Guinea
15. Guinea-Bissau
16. Lesotho
17. Liberia
18. Madagascar
19. Malawi
20. Mali
21. Mauritania
22. Mozambique
23. Niger
24. Rwanda
25. Sao Tome & Principe
26. Senegal
27. Sierra Leone
28. Somalia
29. Sudan
30. Tanzania
31. Togo
32. Uganda
33. Zambia
Asia-Pacific LDCs (1971-2009)
 1971 Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao, Nepal,
Maldives, Samoa and Yemen.
 1975
 1985
 1986
 1987
 1991
 2004
Bangladesh
Vanuatu
Kiribati, Tuvalu
Myanmar
Cambodia, Solomon Islands
Timor Leste
Asian Least Developed Countries (8)
1. Afghanistan
2. Bangladesh
3. Bhutan
4. Cambodia
5. Lao PDR
6. Maldives
7. Myanmar
8. Nepal
Pacific Island LDCs (6)
1. Kiribati
2. Samoa
3. Solomon
Island
4. Tuvalu
5. Vanuatu
6. Timor Leste
South America and the Caribbean
 The only country in the
list of the original LDCs
from South America and
the Caribbean was
 1971-Haiti =1
LDCs Membership of WIPO & Related
CONVENTIONS
 49 LDCs (31 Africa, 4 Arab, 14 Asia Pacific, 1
LAC)
 44 Members of WIPO (31 Af, 4 Ar, 8
Asia&Pacific, 1 La)
 26 Bern Convention
 34 Paris convention
 (AF 26pa, 22be, 18pct, 4mad)
 (AS 5 pa, 2 be, 0pct) (Ar.2pa, 2be)
 (LA pa, be)
Decision of 29 November of the
Council on TRIPs
 Extension of transion from 31 December 2005
Until 1July 2013
 The Council requested LDCs (para 2)
information on individual priority needs for TA
and FC
 Comprehensive IP needs assessment benefit
LDCs
 Use IP as a tool for sustained economic, social,
cultural, and technological development
Decision of 29 November of the
Council on TRIPs
 The Council requested LDCs (para 2)
information on individual priority needs for TA
and FC
 Comprehensive IP needs assessment benefit
LDCs
 Use IP as a tool for sustained economic, social,
cultural, and technological development
Addressing Policy Issues
 The development and implementation of
national IP strategies and plans in the Least
Developed Countries has provided focus and
an integrated approach in addressing
 policy,
 institutional,
 human resources development and
 infrastructural needs and requirements.
Addressing Policy Issues
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Ministerial Forum was held on July 23 and 24
Presence of national and international Experts
Ministres adressed Six Broad areas
IP as relates to developmental needs…
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Ministers in the special plenery addressed their needs
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Discussed with internatioanl experts areas such as
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Integrating IP into National IP policy and strategies
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The strategic inmportance of TOT and TOT Capacity Building-iportance of patent documents and patent
information
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The experiance of Malasia
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Sharing the experiance with Ethiopia in using IP for wealth creation
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The use of collective management societies in wealth creation
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Tradional knowledge with emphasis on tradional medicine the experiance od South Africa
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Regional cooperation
This process is in line with the Development Agenda recommendation which outlines that I quote “WIPO technical assistance shall be, inter-alia, development-oriented, demand-driven and transparent, taking into account the priorities and special needs of LDCs ”.
Access to Research for Development and
Innovation
 Program was lunched by WIPO Director General partnership with various
prominent science and technology publishers
 The aRDi program will support least developed countries in realizing their
creative potential and facilitate their integration into the global knowledge
economy.
 It provides industrial property offices, universities and research
institutes in least developed countries with free access to a selected
on-line journals whose subscription cost would normally total some
$400,000 a year.
IP strategies and IP development plans
 IP strategies and IP development plans as tools
for improving IP capacities and infrastructure;
 Process of being formulated in Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi,
Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia;
Developing capacity of the business and
Industrial Sector
 Developing capacity of the business sector and related
institutions (Training Manuel on TL)
 Skills development and technical training
 Local experts preparation of national chapters on the
legislative, regulatory and institutional mechanisms in
support of technology licensing.
Strengthening National Infrastructure
 Strengthening national infrastructure;
 Technology and Innovation Support Center
 Tanzania, Cambodia and Ethiopia.
Studies on TK
 Studies on identification, Listing and IP protection of
 Traditional Cultural Expressions of two selected LDCs
(Sengal and Bangladesh).
 Legal regional instrument for the protection of traditional
knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs).
Awareness Raising
 Awareness raising activities in a number of
LDCs.
 In Ethiopia, a high level public event
 More than 150 guests involvement of
President.
 In Sudan, more than 100 participants.
High Level National Forum
 Tanzania- September 2009,
 ministers, senior government, business and
industry officials and acadamics;
 Exchange of experience in using IP as a tool for
development;
 The experiences of Korea; Malesiya; Ethiopia
and Tanzania.
Coordination of legislative assistance
 Beneficieries are Angola, Centeral Africa
Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, United Republic of
Tanzania ;
Enhancement of institutional capacity
to administer IP
● Development of skills in IP administration;
● Equipping the offices with modern tools;
● Methods to improve efficiency and service-delivery;
● Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo,
Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of
Tanzania Togo, Zambia.
Cooperation with Governments
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Sweden;
Republic of Korea;
Japan;
EU
And Many others.
Cooperation with Organization
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UN Office of the High Representative
 Mid-Term Comprehensive Report;
 Yearly Report;
 Participates in meetings
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WTO;
UNCTAD;
WHO; ITU
ARIPO, OAPI.
Conclusion
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Strong support from participants in LDCs
activities;
Direction and cooperation from member states
Success due to Leadership of the Director
General of the Organization;
Motivated, dedicated LDCs staff, colleagues
in WIPO etc.
THANK YOU