WIPO CONFERENCE ON BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR MOBILIZING RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT

1. WIPO CONFERENCE ON BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS FOR MOBILIZING RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT GENEVA, NOVEMBER 5 AND 6, 2009 WIPO DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION WITH LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES: VARIOUS INITIATIVES UNDERWAY AT WIPO INCLUDING IP NEEDS ASSESSMENT:

2. WIPO Cooperation for Development with the Least Developed Countries • LDCS IN EACH OF THE REGION? • LDCS MEMBERS OF WIPO CONVENTION? • WIPO COOPERATION WITH THE LDCS, VARIOUS INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN INCLUDING NEEDS ASSESSMENT?

3. The original list African LDCs: 1971-Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) Total=16 1975- Central African Republic, Gambia (18) 1977-Cape Verde, Comoros (20) 1981-Guinea-Bissau (21) 1982-Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Togo (26) 1986-Mauritania (27) 1988-Mozambique (28) 1990-Liberia (29) 1991-Madagascar, CDR, Zambia (32) 1994-Eritrea, Angola (34) (1994-Botswana Graduated) 2001 Senegal 2008-Cape Verde-graduated, Total Africa= 33 African LDCs 1971-2009

4. African Least Developed Countries (33) 1. Angola 2. Benin 3. Burkina Faso4. Burundi 5. Central African Republic 6. Chad 7. Comoros 8. Congo 9. Djibouti 10. Equatorial Guinea 11. Eritrea 12. Ethiopia 13. Gambia 14. Guinea 15. Guinea-Bissau 16. Lesotho 17. Liberia 18. Madagascar 19. Malawi 20. Mali 21. Mauritania 22. Mozambique 23. Niger 24. Rwanda 25. Sao Tome & Principe 26. Senegal 27. Sierra Leone 28. Somalia 29. Sudan 30. Tanzania 31. Togo 32. Uganda 33. Zambia

5. Asia-Pacific LDCs (1971-2009) • 1971 Afghanistan, Bhutan, Lao, Nepal, Maldives, Samoa and Yemen. • 1975 Bangladesh • 1985 Vanuatu • 1986 Kiribati, Tuvalu • 1987 Myanmar • 1991 Cambodia, Solomon Islands • 2004 Timor Leste

6. Asian Least Developed Countries (8) 1. Afghanistan 2. Bangladesh3. Bhutan4. Cambodia5. Lao PDR 6. Maldives7. Myanmar8. Nepal

7. Pacific Island LDCs (6) 1. Kiribati2. Samoa3. Solomon Island4. Tuvalu5. Vanuatu 6. Timor Leste

8. The only country in the list of the original LDCs from South America and the Caribbean was 1971-Haiti =1 South America and the Caribbean

9. LDCs Membership of WIPO & Related CONVENTIONS • 49 LDCs (31 Africa, 4 Arab, 14 Asia Pacific, 1 LAC) • 44 Members of WIPO (31 Af, 4 Ar, 8 Asia&Pacific, 1 La) • 26 Bern Convention • 34 Paris convention • (AF 26pa, 22be, 18pct, 4mad) • (AS 5 pa, 2 be, 0pct) (Ar.2pa, 2be) • (LA pa, be)

10. Decision of 29 November of the Council on TRIPs • Extension of transion from 31 December 2005 Until 1July 2013 • The Council requested LDCs (para 2) information on individual priority needs for TA and FC • Comprehensive IP needs assessment benefit LDCs • Use IP as a tool for sustained economic, social, cultural, and technological development

11. Decision of 29 November of the Council on TRIPs • The Council requested LDCs (para 2) information on individual priority needs for TA and FC • Comprehensive IP needs assessment benefit LDCs • Use IP as a tool for sustained economic, social, cultural, and technological development

12. Addressing Policy Issues • The development and implementation of national IP strategies and plans in the Least Developed Countries has provided focus and an integrated approach in addressing • policy, • institutional, • human resources development and • infrastructural needs and requirements.

13. Addressing Policy Issues • Ministerial Forum was held on July 23 and 24 • Presence of national and international Experts • Ministres adressed Six Broad areas • IP as relates to developmental needs… • Ministers in the special plenery addressed their needs • Discussed with internatioanl experts areas such as • Integrating IP into National IP policy and strategies • The strategic inmportance of TOT and TOT Capacity Building-iportance of patent documents and patent information • The experiance of Malasia • Sharing the experiance with Ethiopia in using IP for wealth creation • The use of collective management societies in wealth creation • Tradional knowledge with emphasis on tradional medicine the experiance od South Africa • Regional cooperation • This process is in line with the Development Agenda recommendation which outlines that I quote “WIPO technical assistance shall be, inter-alia, development-oriented, demand-driven and transparent, taking into account the priorities and special needs of LDCs ”.

14. Access to Research for Development and Innovation • Program was lunched by WIPO Director General partnership with various prominent science and technology publishers • The aRDi program will support least developed countries in realizing their creative potential and facilitate their integration into the global knowledge economy. • It provides industrial property offices, universities and research institutes in least developed countries with free access to a selected on-line journals whose subscription cost would normally total some $400,000 a year.

15. IP strategies and IP development plans • IP strategies and IP development plans as tools for improving IP capacities and infrastructure; • Process of being formulated in Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia;

16. Developing capacity of the business and Industrial Sector • Developing capacity of the business sector and related institutions (Training Manuel on TL) • Skills development and technical training • Local experts preparation of national chapters on the legislative, regulatory and institutional mechanisms in support of technology licensing.

17. Strengthening National Infrastructure • Strengthening national infrastructure; • Technology and Innovation Support Center • Tanzania, Cambodia and Ethiopia.

18. Studies on TK • Studies on identification, Listing and IP protection of • Traditional Cultural Expressions of two selected LDCs (Sengal and Bangladesh). • Legal regional instrument for the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs).

19. Awareness Raising • Awareness raising activities in a number of LDCs. • In Ethiopia, a high level public event • More than 150 guests involvement of President. • In Sudan, more than 100 participants.

20. High Level National Forum • Tanzania- September 2009, • ministers, senior government, business and industry officials and acadamics; • Exchange of experience in using IP as a tool for development; • The experiences of Korea; Malesiya; Ethiopia and Tanzania.

21. Coordination of legislative assistance • Beneficieries are Angola, Centeral Africa Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Rwanda, United Republic of Tanzania ;

22. Enhancement of institutional capacity to administer IP • Development of skills in IP administration; • Equipping the offices with modern tools; • Methods to improve efficiency and service-delivery; • Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of Tanzania Togo, Zambia.

23. Cooperation with Governments • Sweden; • Republic of Korea; • Japan; • EU • And Many others.

24. Cooperation with Organization • UN Office of the High Representative • Mid-Term Comprehensive Report; • Yearly Report; • Participates in meetings • WTO; • UNCTAD; • WHO; ITU • ARIPO, OAPI.

25. Conclusion • Strong support from participants in LDCs activities; • Direction and cooperation from member states • Success due to Leadership of the Director General of the Organization; • Motivated, dedicated LDCs staff, colleagues in WIPO etc.

26. THANK YOU