UNCTAD organized this workshop in Cairo jointly with the Egyptian Patent Office (EGYPO) and the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. The workshop focused on ways to enhance the Egyptian research and development (R&D) framework to boost the country’s opportunities to trade in technology goods within the AfCFTA. This workshop benefitted from the results of UNCTAD expert consultations in February 2019 in Geneva. See website for further information, below.

EGYPO, Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology

UNCTAD

EGYPO has requested UNCTAD’s technical cooperation in follow-up activities.

https://unctad.org/en/pages/MeetingDetails.aspx?meetingid=2142

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

Following requests by AUC and UNECA, UNCTAD contributed the bulk of the IP chapter in the 2019 issue of this ARIA report, which provides guidelines for the IP Protocol negotiations scheduled to begin in the first half of 2020. The study reviews the status of intellectual property norm setting in Africa, the international and regional framework, the experience of other regions and the mechanism to address Africa’s interest in the protection and utilization of traditional knowledge and genetic resources. UNCTAD also contributed to the elaboration of intellectual property issues under the chapter on E-Commerce and Integration in a Digitizing Africa.

African policymakers and government officials, AfCFTA negotiators

AUC, UNECA, UNCTAD

The report will inform the negotiations of the AfCFTA Protocol on Intellectual Property Rights.

https://www.uneca.org/publications/assessing-regional-integration-africa-aria-ix

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

UNCTAD reported on its AfCFTA-related work at a seminar organized jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC) at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). Benefiting from participation by BMZ, the European Union, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the World Bank, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the private sector, this seminar reviewed existing technical cooperation and potential donor coordination.

AfCFTA policy makers, development partners

UNCTAD, AUC, BMZ, EU, JICA, World Bank, UNECA

The seminar contributed to increased understanding among donors and AfCFTA countries of UNCTAD’s and BMZ’s activities regarding the AfCFTA process.

https://unctad.org/en/pages/MeetingDetails.aspx?meetingid=2266

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) organized this Expert Group Meeting. UNECA invited UNCTAD to contribute expertise on investment and intellectual property for the review of the initial draft study on "Towards a Common Investment Area in the African Continental Free Trade Area: Policy Options Towards Levelling the Playing Field for Intra-African Investment".

African policymakers and government officials

UNECA, UNCTAD

Based on its previous contribution, UNCTAD has been invited to provide further IP and investment-related expertise to a second draft of the study during a virtual expert meeting on 17 and 18 September 2020.

Not yet available.

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

UNCTAD was invited by UNECA to contribute to a discussion on regional trade integration and development in Africa.

AfCFTA government officials and private sector

UNECA, UNCTAD

The discussion raised awareness of AfCFTA policymakers and the private sector of the implications of the AfCFTA for regional trade and private sector development.

https://www.uneca.org/1st-session-committee-private-sector-development

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

UNCTAD and WHO on 23 April 2020 organized a webinar on investment in quality local production to address supply bottlenecks related to the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. The event, which was attended by 127 participants, emphasized the need to increase pandemic preparedness in developing countries through, inter alia, increased local pharmaceutical production.

Developing country policymakers and Geneva-based delegates

UNCTAD

UNCTAD relied on the discussions and recommendations of this webinar to publish a policy paper on "Ten Actions to Boost Low and Middle-Income Countries’ Productive Capacity for Medicines".

https://unctad.org/en/pages/MeetingDetails.aspx?meetingid=2418

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

As the importance of data for innovation, productivity and talking global challenges, such as in food and agriculture, climate change and industrialization, grows, the governance for the control, access and sharing of data became crucial. This webinar, which was part of UNCTAD’s e-commerce week 2020, hosted international experts on data and intellectual property rights to address the key bottlenecks for data sharing and the role of intellectual property rights.

Geneva delegates, national and regional policymakers, private sector

UNCTAD, WIPO, South Centre

The webinar contributed to increased awareness of webinar participants of the role of IP rights in promoting the sharing of data.

https://unctad.org/meetings/en/SessionalDocuments/DTL_STICT_2020.11.05_eWeek2020finalsummaryreport_en.pdf

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

The paper recommends ten actions to ensure low- and middle-income countries’ equitable access to Covid-19-related products, focusing on technology partnerships between LMIC governments, local pharmaceutical producers, foreign investors and development partners.

LMIC policymakers, development partners

UNCTAD

Increased awareness among developing country policymakers of the potential of IP and investment policies for technology partnerships to address Covid-19.

https://healthpolicy-watch.org/ten-actions-to-boost-lmics-productive-capacity-for-medicines/

Christoph Spennemann, Officer-in-Charge, Intellectual Property Unit, UNCTAD

Visit by high-ranking representatives from IP departments of Chinese companies, 14 people.

Federal Patent Court

Visit of a Chinese delegation led by the Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Legislative Affairs of the NPC as part of the "IP Key China - Patent Trials Mission to the EU", 7 people

Federal Patent Court

Visit of a delegation from the National Center for Intellectual Property of the Republic of Belarus as part of a study trip organized by the IRZ, 6 people

Federal Patent Court

Heads meeting with the Director General and his delegation, trade mark law in Germany, six persons

NCIP (National Center of Intellectual Property, Belarus)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office and IRZ

Study visit of a delegation of the China National Intellectual Property Administration of the P.R. of China, 25 persons

CNIP (State National Intellectual Property Administration)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Study visit of a delegation from the Legal Affairs Commission, six persons

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office and EUIPO

Heads meeting with the Deputy Commissioner and his delegation, 40 years of cooperation, latest developments at the two offices, further cooperation, six persons

CNIPA (State National Intellectual Property Administration

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Heads meeting with the Deputy Commissioner and his delegation, Preparation of the Memorandum of Understanding, Visit of a delegation from DPMA, five persons

CNIPA (State National Intellectual Property Administration

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Continuation of the programs, three patent examiners from DPMA visited the CNIPA

CNIPA (State National Intellectual Property Administration

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

State Administration for Market Regulation, 22 persons

CETC (China Education & Training Center)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Visit of a representative of KIPO and an interview about the unification of Germany, one person

KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Delegation of Patent Attorneys of the Daejon-Munich IP Network Forum 2019, 15 persons

Daejon-Munich IP Network

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Continuation of the programs, four patent examiner from KIPO visited the DPMA

KIPO (Korean Intellectual Property Office)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Heads meeting with the Chairman of the board of Directors INDECOPI, The German Patent and Trade Mark Office – an overview, Cooperation, discussion about the German IP Law, Three persons.

INDECOPI (National Institute for the Defense of Free Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property in Lima)

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

Exchange of issues on utility model systems, two persons

Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany

German Patent- and Trade Mark Office

The overriding objective of the EU Twinning project is to support the Republic of Serbia in aligning its standards for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights with established EU practices, in order to conduct effective ac-cession negotiations and successfully manage all the integration and preaccession assistance from the EU. In addition, a functioning system for the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights will be set up and adapted to suit EU standards and procedures. These project guidelines are being implemented thanks to regular seminars, workshops and study visits

Serbian Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Tele-communications

DKPTO (Danish Patent and Trade-mark Office) in cooperation with IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation)

The EU Twinning project is set to improve the technical and institutional capabilities of the Egyptian Patent Office, in order to increase the number of patent applications and improve the protection of intellectual property in Egypt. Another objective is to bring together the academic world with small and medium sized enterprises and to familiarise them with patent application in compliance with EU standards.

Egyptian Patent Office (EPO)

Spanish Patent and Trademark Office in cooperation with IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation) and the DKPTO (Danish Patent and Trademark Office)

Expert discussions with representatives of - German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) - Federal Patent Court (BPatG) - Patent Attorneys - Patent Lawyers´ Association - Higher Regional Court Munich, Senate for Patent Attorney Matters

National Center of Intellec-tual Property of Belarus

IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation)

Expert discussions with representatives of - Federal Patent Court - Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Campus Munich - District court of Munich - Meissner Bolte patent attorneys and lawyers partnership mbB Audience: Representatives in the field of intellectual property at different institutions and bodies. 7 participants from Russian Federation

IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation) and German Federal Foreign Office

Participation of head of copyright and publishing division (German Federal Ministry of justice and consumer protection). Audience: Representatives of WIPO, Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan

WIPO and IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation)

Lecture for law students Topics: - Media-related European competition and antitrust law - Copyright law

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University of Georgia

IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation)

Lecture for law students Topics: - Media-related European competition and antitrust law - Copyright law

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University of Georgia

IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation)