Supporting Policymakers in Strengthening the Global IP System
April 5, 2023
The 14th edition of the annual WIPO-WTO Advanced Course on Topical Intellectual Property Policy Issues was held from March 20 to 31, 2023 at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
What is the course about?
Twenty-two senior policymakers from developing countries, least-developed countries and countries in transition, who are actively involved in multilateral intellectual property (IP) matters from relevant ministerial departments and IP offices participated in the two week course. They benefitted from the unique opportunity to learn more about the latest IP issues debated within WPO, WTO and other international fora, and to network among peers involved in IP policy.
WIPO Deputy Director General, Hasan Kleib, opened the two week course encouraging participants to use the knowledge gained from the course for impactful policy developments in their home countries.
It is my hope that over the next two weeks, not only will you be discussing at the edges of developments in the IP world, but you will also be able to take these learnings back to your capitals and feed them into policy deliberations at home. That what you learn here can translate into practical and impactful policy in your national contexts. It is my hope that you will meet your peers in other countries, make new friendships and build networks that will shape your cooperation at the inter-regional and international levels. And it is my hope that you contribute to the development of the international IP system.
Hasan Kleib, Deputy Director General of the Regional and National Development Sector, WIPO
What did the course cover?
Throughout the course, participants contributed to interactive lectures and group discussions guided by IP experts from academia, the private sector, and the public sector, including WPO and WTO officials. Topics covered during the course included:
- IP and public policy in developing countries
- IP and economic development
- Copyright in the digital environment
- Policy issues in the fields of trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications and patents
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and IP issues and challenges
- IP and climate change
- Issues at the crossroads of public health, IP and trade and
- Protection of biotechnology - New developments in law and practice.
