The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Who are WIPO?
The WIPO has been a key development partner for Uganda in the field of intellectual property. They have undertaken technical assistance activities to encourage innovation and protection of intellectual property including technical support to Uganda in upgrading and maintenance of the Intellectual Property Automated System (IPAS), training and capacity building for human resources, support in the form a regional workshop on intellectual property and traditional knowledge for economic development.
WIPO member states have a daunting task to negotiate the renewal of the mandate of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), which expired in June 2017.
The IGC has always held a renewable two-year mandate since it commenced text based negotiations in 2009. It will be particularly important for African countries, as key demanders for protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge to ensure that the General Assembly agrees to convene a diplomatic conference to conclude a treaty in 2019.
The WIPO General Assembly will also decide, among other things: approving the program and budget of the organization for the 2018/2019 biennium; on furthering discussions for potential treaties to protect broadcasting organizations (the Broadcast Treaty), and; simplifying the international applications for industrial designs – the Design Law Treaty (DLT).
In other discussions, the WIPO General Assembly will discuss reports from various committees. At the WIPO General Assembly each committee reports on its activities over the past year.
Of particular importance to Uganda and other developing countries is the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) as well as the Committee on the law of Patents.
The committee is responsible for implementation of the 2007 WIPO Development Agenda by ensuring that development aspects are streamlined in all WIPO’s work including the Programme and budget. The last session of the Committee tasked the organization to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals are fully streamlined in WIPO’s activities.
In a related development, several officers were elected to various offices.
Uganda’s Bemanya Twebaze, the Registrar General of Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB), was elected the President of the Paris Union Assembly, and Ambassador Christopher Onyanga Aparr, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations Office in Geneva, has been serving as the Second Vice Chairman of the Coordination Committee.
