Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Walter Werner
11   TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

266.   Pursuant to Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement, Canada is pleased to submit its annual report on the implementation of Article 67 TRIPS, which provides an update on Canada's activities concerning IP-related technical and financial cooperation for developing and LDC Members, covering the 2017-2018 period (IP/C/W/647/Add.4). 267.   Canada has undertaken a number of technical cooperation activities at the multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral levels. For instance, at the multilateral and plurilateral levels, Canada works in close collaboration with WIPO, as well as with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Intellectual Property Rights Expert's Group (APEC-IPEG), where Canada participates in regular discussions aimed at sharing information and best practices on IP rights. Canada also provides a number of technical cooperation activities administered by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Canada, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Other Canadian institutions that receive funding from the Government of Canada, such as the Centre for Trade Policy and Law and the University of Ottawa, are also involved in international technical cooperation efforts. 268.   For instance, as noted in this year's report, CIPO hosted and delivered its annual CIPO-WIPO Executive Workshop for senior officials from developing countries on management techniques in the delivery of IP services in June 2018. This workshop, which was delivered in French for the second year, benefitted from fruitful participation from Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Madagascar, Togo, Haiti, Belarus, and the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI). CIPO also made available online a number of pre-recorded webinars on IP and patents in collaboration with the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada. These webinars, which were available for embassies, consulates, and businesses from developing countries, covered topics such as the basics of Canadian IP, registration of patents and trademarks, and IP foundations for women entrepreneurs. Moreover, CIPO provided research and examination reports for patent examinations upon the requests of Madagascar and Djibouti, through WIPO's programme of International Cooperation in the Search and Examination of Inventions (or ICSEI). 269.   Canada's 2018 report on Article 67 TRIPS also includes a number of IP-related technical assistance projects funded by the IDRC. These include the Copyright and Innovation in the Developing World Project in India, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile, which provides evidence to support Governments on copyright and innovation issues in the digital economy. This project has worked to develop a transnational index of changes in copyright laws in fifteen countries, studying the impact of copyright laws on the behaviour of firms, and is developing sector-specific case studies. The project has also examined new forms of payment and reward for developing country-creators seeking to distribute their content. 270.   Canada also contributes to the work of the Open African Innovation Research Network (Open AIR), which aims to investigate how IP regimes in Africa can be harnessed to facilitate innovation through collaboration, and to make processes more participatory, knowledge more accessible, and benefits more widely-shared. Open AIR is engaged in several research areas. For instance, Open AIR's work on high-technology hubs examines the role of formal IP rights in African tech initiatives. As well, Open AIR's work on informal sector innovation is examining, among other things, whether there are IP-related solutions or challenges in scaling up informal businesses. 271.   With respect to discussions on technical cooperation in the TRIPS Council, Canada remains interested in hearing Members' views on some of the successes and challenges in seeking technical assistance and cooperation to address their priority needs. Canada would also be interested in hearing how priority needs have changed since LDCs' initial work on TRIPS implementation, and where gaps in technical assistance might remain. As well, Canada would be interested in Members' experiences and best practices on the types of technical assistance that have proven most effective in supporting the implementation of TRIPS obligations and in using IP to support economic and social development. 272.   Canada looks forward to discussing these issues further, with a view to ensuring that technical assistance continues to meet the priority needs and development objectives of its recipients.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
44.   The Chair recalled that in June 2018, the Council had agreed to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the November meeting. Developed country Members had been requested to update information on their technical and financial cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement. Other Members who also made available technical cooperation were encouraged to share information on these activities. The Secretariat had issued an airgram on 5 July 2018 reminding Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations observers to the Council and the Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
45.   The Council had received information from the following developed country Members: United States of America, Switzerland, Australia, Japan and Canada. Their reports had been circulated in document IP/C/W/647 and addenda. Shortly before the meeting, the Council had also received the reports from New Zealand, as well as from the European Union and some of its member States, namely Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Advance copies of both reports had been made available as room documents on documents online and would also be circulated as addenda to document IP/C/W/647.
46.   The following intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Health Organization (WHO), World Customs Organization (WCO), African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Their reports had been circulated in document IP/C/W/644/Rev.1 and addenda. Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda, information had also been received from UPOV, which would be made available shortly.
47.   Updated information on the Secretariat's own technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area could be found in document IP/C/W/645.
48.   The representatives from Canada, Australia, Japan, the United States of America, Norway, the European Union, the Secretariat, the WHO, the GCC, UNCTAD, WIPO and ARIPO took the floor.
49.   The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
IP/C/M/90, IP/C/M/90/Add.1