A two-week Advanced Course on Intellectual Property for Government Officials, jointly organized by the WTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), was held in Geneva from 11 to 22 March 2019.
The training aimed at enhancing the capacity of developing country governments as well as developing and implementing national expertise in intellectual property (IP) matters.
Twenty-nine officials from developing countries participated in the course. This capacity building exercise brought together government officials with a strong background in intellectual property from a diverse range of countries and legal systems.
Mario Matus, Deputy Director General at WIPO, and Xiaozhun Yi, WTO Deputy Director-General, participated in the opening and closing ceremonies, together with Antony Taubman, Director of the Intellectual Property, Government Procurement & Competition Division at the WTO.
They addressed the global IP framework and its interaction with public policy issues, emphasizing the importance of this capacity building exercise which responds to the growing demand within developing countries for enhanced awareness of intellectual property issues.
Government officials were updated on IP law instruments and related multilateral developments, and were able to exchange information, experience and ideas on IP matters among themselves and with the WIPO and WTO Secretariats.
The course was designed to equip participants with the tools to develop and apply domestic policies that contribute to the IP development process.
The programme provided a platform for dialogue and partnership among peers that will continue beyond the two-week course, putting national experiences and advice on best practices and strategies at the centre of the discussion.
Source: wto.org