177. Canada is pleased to have submitted its report on the implementation of Article 67 under document . Canada's 2021 report provides an update on Canada's activities concerning IP-related technical and financial cooperation for developing and LDC Members. We thank the WTO Secretariat in advance for its efforts in circulating Canada's report following this session. 178. Canada undertakes a number of technical cooperation activities at the multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral levels, which are outlined in this year's report. We would like to briefly take the opportunity to highlight a few notable activities from the past year. First, in April and May this year, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) hosted and delivered its annual CIPO-WIPO Executive Workshop on IP Office Management, on management techniques in the delivery of IP services, for senior officials from developing countries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's workshop was held virtually over the course of two weeks. The objectives of the workshop were to enhance knowledge and skills in the area of management techniques in the delivery of IP services; improve the capacity of IP officials; provide participants with first-hand experience of the nature and scope of Canada's IP expertise, products and services; and provide a forum to exchange ideas and experiences with officials from other IP offices. 179. In September 2020, CIPO also conducted a Pilot Program of Training for patent examiners in the area of computer-implemented inventions, which included participants from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Under this Pilot Program, a patent examiner from CIPO provided an overview of Canadian laws and regulations, as well as on the practice of CIPO on the substantive examination of computer-implemented inventions; the examiner also presented examination cases. 180. This year's report also highlights the activities of Canadian departments, agencies, and other institutions, such as the Open African Innovation Research network (or Open AIR), which is a unique collaborative network of researchers spread across Africa and Canada. A new research phase, implemented in collaboration with the University of Cape Town, South Africa, examines how Africa's high-tech hubs are facilitating the adaptation and adoption of emerging technologies in Africa, including artificial intelligence; how maker communities facilitate inclusive innovation, especially by empowering women and girls and benefitting members of marginalized groups; and how to build confidence in Indigenous populations to effectively participate in collaborative knowledge production with optimal and equitable benefits. 181. Canada's 2021 report also highlight technical assistance activities conducted by Canada's Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development, which is supporting the IP Office of Viet Nam to implement legal and administrative reforms in respect of its commitments under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. 182. Further details on these activities can be found in Canada's 2021 report, and Canada would be pleased to discuss our report with any interested Member. Canada also remains interested in hearing developing and LDC Members' views on the successes and challenges of technical assistance and cooperation, as well as how priority needs have changed since Members' TRIPS implementation, and where gaps in technical assistance might remain. 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.
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