Heads of Intellectual Property Offices from Pacific Islands got together in Fiji
December 12, 2023
WIPO organized the Head of Intellectual Property Office Conference (HIPOC) for Pacific Island countries in collaboration with the Fiji Intellectual Property Office, Ministry of Justice, with support from Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global, in Suva, Fiji, from October 23, 24 and 26, 2023.
The purposes of this meeting were to inform countries of WIPO’s new vision and Mid-term Strategic Plan which placed more emphasis on grassroots projects, especially the women and youth, and to increase uptake for WIPO projects and activities by more countries in the region.
About the meeting
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Justice / Attorney-General, Mr. Simori Turaga, Mr. Andrew Michael Ong, Director, Division for Asia and the Pacific, Regional and National Development Sector, on behalf of WIPO, and Mr. Kenji Mihara, Director of Intellectual Property, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Singapore.
Representatives of Intellectual Property Offices of Pacific Island countries shared the status of IP in the Pacific Islands and the priority areas for development. They benefited from the presentations on international intellectual property systems, such as the Lisbon System and the Madrid Protocol. The recipients of WIPO technical assistance in the region, who were very important participants of the meeting, played a significant role. Their participation facilitated discussions with IP offices and the planning of cooperation activities in the future by providing real and practical experience from their operations.
