WIPO Director General Meets President of Ukraine
Geneva, May 30, 2002
Press Updates UPD/2002/168
The critical importance of the intellectual property system to the development and prosperity of a nation was the central theme of discussions between Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, during an official visit to Kiev on May 28 and 29, 2002. President Kuchma expressed the Ukrainian Government's firm commitment to adopting a comprehensive series of measures to upgrade the national intellectual property system, including improved domestic legislation and the active implementation of rigorous enforcement mechanisms to combat counterfeiting and piracy.
In his meeting with the President, Dr. Idris pledged WIPO's full support in assisting Ukrainian efforts to strengthen the national intellectual property system, including enforcement, through training of judges, customs authorities, and other concerned parties. He said that Ukraine had much to gain from effective use of the intellectual property system and stressed the need to raise public awareness of the value and role of the intellectual property system. This, he said, was a key means by which to convert the wealth of knowledge and technical know-how in Ukraine into concrete economic growth, higher levels of employment and improved living standards. Dr Idris said "Intellectual property protection is effective in safeguarding the authenticity of culture, promoting wealth creation and economic development. It is essential in combating counterfeiting and piracy activities, which are a threat to the economic health and social and cultural well-being of a country."
Dr. Idris also met with Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh, who reiterated his Government's commitment to strengthening intellectual property protection, which, he said, was entirely in line with efforts to foster economic reform, create a favorable investment climate and stimulate economic, social and cultural development. In the course of this meeting a cooperation agreement was signed by the WIPO Director General and Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister, Mr. Volodymyr Seminozhenko
The cooperation agreement provides for the implementation of a comprehensive program of assistance to help strengthen the intellectual property system and upgrade intellectual property enforcement capacity in Ukraine. It includes, legal and technical advice in industrial property and copyright matters, training programs, on-line intellectual property services and support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Mr. Seminozhenko also presented Dr. Idris with Ukraine's instrument of ratification on accession to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs (the Hague Act of November, 28, 1960 and the Geneva Act of July 2, 1999).
At the National Politechnical University, Dr. Idris met with Mr. Mykhailo Zgurovskiy, Rector of the University, to discuss possible areas of cooperation with the WIPO Worldwide Academy. The Director General also received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in recognition of his contribution to the development of cooperation in the field of intellectual property.
The Ukraine has been a member of WIPO since 1991 and is currently party to seven WIPO-administered treaties including the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
For further information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:
- Tel: (+41 22) - 338 81 61 or 338 95 47
- Fax: (+41 22) - 338 88 10
- Email: publicinf@wipo.int.