Policy Dialogue: ECOWAS/WIPO Regional web forum on IP and Innovation – Boosting Business competitiveness in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
April 29, 2022
A web forum on the theme: “IP and Innovation – Boosting Business competitiveness in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)” was organized on March 22 and 23, in collaboration with the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union Commission, and with the support of the Funds-in-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global.
Targeting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and SMEs support institutions, the main objective of this meeting was to raise awareness on the role of IP in boosting business competitiveness in intra-regional trade, especially in the context of the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Another objective was to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to learn about the rudiments of the IP system, national and regional IPR administration systems, successful IP business practices, as well as WIPO tools and services.
Over four hundred SMEs, SMEs support institutions and the IP user community across Africa registered for this web forum.
Opening remarks were delivered by partner institutions, represented by:
- Mr. Mamadou Traoré, Commissioner for Industry and Private Sector Promotion of ECOWAS,
- Mr. Futoshi Yasuda, Director-General, Patent and Design Examination Department of the JPO,
- Mrs. Ron Osman, Officer In Charge of Industry Division; Trade and Industry Department; African Union; and
- Mr. Séry-Koré , Director, WIPO Division for Africa on behalf of the Deputy Director General of the Regional and National Development Sector (RNDS).
The two-day 4-hour daily web forum took participants through the ‘need-to-knows’ about the AfCFTA and opportunities afforded by the IP system to SMEs wishing to do business in this trade area. It also provided insights into the different forms of IP, routes for protection of IPRs, effective commercialization of IP Assets; IP implications in E-commerce and WIPO Tools and services available for SMEs. Question and Answer sessions were vibrant with probing questions, demonstrating the keen interest of participants in learning more about the IP system and how it could be useful for their businesses in the newly established free trade area. The highlight of the presentations from the SMEs support institutions was the shared interest in collaborating with WIPO to bring IP to the SME community in Africa.
