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1  TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS1.1  Voluntary Contributions for WIPO Funds-in-Trust/Japan

1. Since 1987, the Government of Japan has been providing voluntary contributions in the field of industrial property (IP) to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The "WIPO Funds‑in‑Trust/Japan" (FIT/JP) in the field of IP was established with these voluntary funds. The FIT/JP is used to finance various projects for WIPO members in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), such as holding IP office conferences or symposia, welcoming trainees and IP research students, sending Japan Patent Office (JPO) officials and supporting for the automation and modernization of IP offices.
2. In addition to the above, since the Japanese fiscal year (FY) 2008, the Government of Japan has been providing a new FIT/JP programme for Africa to the amount of CHF 6 million annually. This fund will support activities aimed inter alia at strengthening the legal and administrative frameworks for IP protection, automating and modernizing IP infrastructure to ensure high quality service to users, and sharing the experience of Japanese SMEs and experts in business oriented IP management and human resource development in Africa.
3. And, since April 2019, Japan has renewed FIT/JP as the Global Funds, which are used without limiting areas of support. FIT/JP for FY 2019 amounts to CHF 5.78 million.