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

H.E. Ambassador Dr Lansana GBERIE
12 TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND CAPACITY-BUILDING

205.   Thank you Chair for providing the opportunity for New Zealand to speak to our technical cooperation activities under Article 67. The report, document IP/C/R/TC/NZL/1, identifies three avenues through which New Zealand provides technical cooperation and capacity building to developing and least developed Members. 206.   The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) provides on-going technical assistance on request to developing and least developed countries. New Zealand will continue to support future work, on request, to improve the intellectual property systems of developing countries. IPONZ hosts delegations and study visits from developing and least developed countries to provide practical training and knowledge sharing. 207.   New Zealand has been a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) since 1981. As we all know, a key element of UPOV is cooperation between member states and the harmonisation of testing and examination activity. 208.   The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) mandates a programme of technical assistance activities to assist AANZFTA Parties to operationalise and implement the Agreement. Until June 2022 this was known as the AANZFTA Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP). Projects funded by the AECSP are available to all ten ASEAN member States. Numerous projects focus on Intellectual property. Including: a. Assistance for ASEAN member States to accede to the Madrid Protocol and implement its post-accession, facilitating trademark registration regionally and globally. b. Projects to strengthen ASEAN member States' institutional capacity to design and adopt a high-quality, consistent, and sustainable approach to patent examination and tailored training. c. Development of a Regional Intellectual Property Public Education and Awareness Strategy and a pool of resources to raise awareness of AANZFTA business communities and IP creators about strategic IP management. 209.   We hope the information provided today and in the report is helpful for Members in understanding the work New Zealand does in the implementation of Article 67.

The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
53. The Chair recalled that in July 2022, the Council had agreed to hold the annual review of technical cooperation at the present meeting.
54. 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 11 July 2022 reminding developed country Members of this request. Intergovernmental organizations observers to the Council and the WTO Secretariat had also been invited to provide information.
55. The Council had received information from the following developed country Members: Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda the European Union 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".
56. Intergovernmental organizations had also submitted updated information: the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since the circulation of the revised draft agenda, had also submitted information in this regard. Their reports were being circulated in the same document series .
57. The report of the WTO Secretariat on technical cooperation activities in the TRIPS area was available in document .
58. The representatives of the European Union; the United Kingdom; the United States of America; Australia; Switzerland; Canada; New Zealand; Japan; Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group; the WTO Secretariat; the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); and the World Health Organization (WHO) took the floor.
59. 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.
60. The Council took note of the statements made and agreed to revert to the matter at its next meeting.
IP/C/M/106, IP/C/M/106/Add.1