H.E. Ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren

African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)

11 TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING

356.   Pursuant to its mandate, ARIPO organizes activities and programmes either solely or in collaboration with its cooperating partners. These programmes and activities are mainly aimed at assisting ARIPO's Members in intellectual property matters in order to capacitate them to better use the IP system for the benefit of their populations. 357.   ARIPO circulated earlier a detailed report as per the Secretariat's request. I will hence not delve into details of the report, but I wish to single out some highlights in the awareness creation and capacity building. 358.   For the awareness creation component on Intellectual Property, 2019 was mainly marked by activities organized in the framework of a Tripartite Agreement that was signed in 2018 between WIPO, ARIPO and OAPI. These activities include the IP Week programme in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda; a high-level round table on geographical indications; the first Regional meeting for African Heads of Copyright Offices from 45 countries across Africa, and a conference that will be held in November in Harare, Zimbabwe, on IP, Innovation and Value Addition for Business Competitiveness in Africa. 359.   On capacity building, one of the flagship programmes of ARIPO is the master's degree programme on intellectual property that was established 12 years ago. Through this programme 324 participants from 26 African countries were graduated. After launching a similar programme in Ghana in 2018, the Organization launched in 2019 a new programme in Tanzania in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salam. 360.   Other activities that were undertaken in collaboration with our cooperating partners include: a workshop on patent drafting; a regional meeting on the development of Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISCs) network; training on intellectual property enforcement for judicial instructors; publication of a Model Law on Copyright and Related Rights; and a Regional Seminar for ARIPO Members on the TRIPS flexibilities and access to medicines that will take place from 28 and 29 October 2019 in Harare, Zimbabwe. 361.   Finally, this delegation wants to thank once again the Secretariat for having associated ARIPO and its Members in the Workshop on the Implementation of TRIPS Article 66.2 : Incentives for Technology Transfer, that was held earlier 2019 and express the wish that the Secretariat will continue organizing similar events as they are a good platform for expressing priorities in technology transfer especially for LDCs.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.

53.   The Chair recalled that the Council had agreed, at its meeting in June 2019, to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the present 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 had also provided technical cooperation, were encouraged to share information on these activities. The Secretariat had issued an airgram on 21 June 2019 reminding developed-country Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations, observers to the Council, and the WTO Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
54.   The Council had received information from the following developed-country Members: Switzerland, Japan, the United States of America, Norway, Australia, and Canada. Their reports were being circulated in document IP/C/W/655 and addenda. The Council had also received an Advance Working Copy of the report from the European Union and some of its member States. It had been made available as a room document RD/IP/35, on documents online, and would also be circulated as an addendum to document IP/C/W/655 once finalized. The following intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the GCC, WHO, WCO, UNCTAD, ARIPO and WIPO. Their reports had been being circulated in document IP/C/W/654 and addenda. Updated information on the WTO Secretariat's own technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area was available in document IP/C/W/658. He invited developed-country Members to introduce their reports on technical cooperation activities.
55.   The representatives of Canada; Japan; the European Union; the United States of America; Norway; Australia; Benin, on behalf of West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU); and Bangladesh took the floor.
56.   The Chair invited the WTO Secretariat to inform the Council of its recent technical cooperation activities.
57.   The representative of the WTO Secretariat took the floor.
58.   The Chair invited the representatives of intergovernmental organizations to introduce their reports.
59.   The representatives of the Secretariats of the WHO, GCC, WIPO, ARIPO, UNCTAD, and the WCO took the floor.
60.   The Chair noted that most of the valuable information provided by Members and IGO observers had been received only very recently; and, that most of it was, so far, available only in its original language. He suggested that Members have an opportunity, at the next meeting of the Council, to make further comments on the information submitted for the meeting.
61.   The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.

IP/C/M/93, IP/C/M/93/Add.1