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

H.E. Ambassador Dagfinn Sørli (Norway)
12 TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

177.   Canada is pleased to have submitted its report on the implementation of Article 67 under document IP/C/R/TC/CAN/2. 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.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
70. The Chair recalled that in June 2021, the Council had agreed to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the present meeting.
71. 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 15 June 2021 reminding developed country Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations observers to the Council and the WTO Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
72. The Council had received information from the following developed country Members: Switzerland, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda Norway has also submitted information in this regard. These reports are being circulated under the new dedicated document series with the symbol – where "R" stands for "Reports" and "TC" stands for "Technical Cooperation".
73. Intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had also submitted information in this regard. Their reports were being circulated in the same document series observer]/.
74. The report of the WTO Secretariat on technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area was available in document .
75. The representatives of Norway; Canada; Australia; the European Union; Switzerland; Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group; the United Kingdom; the United States; Japan; the WTO Secretariat; the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); and the World Health Organization (WHO) took the floor.
76. The Chair noted that most of the valuable information provided by Members and IGO observers had been received only very recently. He would provide delegations an opportunity at the next regular meeting to make further comments on the information submitted.
77. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
IP/C/M/103, IP/C/M/103/Add.1, IP/C/M/103/Rev.1