WIPO's IP Training Program for Diplomats Launches in Costa Rica
October 13, 2023
WIPO's Intellectual Property (IP) Training Program for Diplomats successfully concluded its inaugural training series in Costa Rica on September 27, 2023. The training program was organized by the WIPO Academy in cooperation with the Costa Rican Diplomatic Academy, and with the support of the IP Academy of the National Registry of Costa Rica, which is a WIPO IP Training Institution (IPTI).
Costa Rican diplomats joined by representatives from the IP Academy of the National Registry of Costa Rica and the Costa Rican Diplomatic Academy at the inaugural session of the IP Training Program for Diplomats on August 28, 2023.
Twenty-three Costa Rican diplomats currently based in diplomatic missions and embassies in more 10 countries benefitted from the interactive training which was delivered in hybrid format.
What did Costa Rica's diplomats learn about?
The training program equipped Costa Rica's diplomatic staff with key knowledge on priority issues for the country's development, in addition to the main global challenges in the field of IP. Ten interactive lessons featuring group work and debates were delivered on a range of IP-related topics such as:
- IP protection in Costa Rica;
- Bilateral and multilateral IP treaties ratified by Costa Rica;
- The relationship between intellectual property and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030);
- IP and global health;
- IP and biodiversity protection;
- IP, art and the orange economy; and
- IP and technology development.
A special session on diplomacy and IP in practice was delivered by former and current senior international diplomats, who shared their experience and engaged in a dialogue with the participants. Mr. Alejandro Solano, the Vice-Minister of Multilateral Affairs of the Ministry of External Relations of Costa Rica also joined the session to speak about the importance of intellectual property for the country’s economy and social development.
The topics covered during the inaugural training on IP for diplomats in Costa Rica were identified as priority areas for the country's diplomacy through a thoughtfully conducted needs assessment by the WIPO Academy.