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The Division within WIPO’s results based framework for cooperation programs takes initiatives to build partnerships with the development partners of the Least Developed Countries.
In Africa, the Division completed successfully a joint Program with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA) in 2015. During this joint program, the participating LDCs, among others, identified the need for continuation and further strengthening of WIPO’s collaboration with the UN ECA.
The proposed activity will focus on identifying priority needs of the LDCs of the region in the area of innovation and technological capacity development. The program will provide the platform to discuss and assess the policy, technical and institutional needs to strengthen national knowledge base for the use of innovation and technology for national development. How regional and sub-regional partnership(s) involving WIPO, UN ECA and other regional organizations can leverage their expertise and institutional capacity for the benefit of LDCs of Africa, will be in focus. The overarching aim is to discuss and identify a strategic framework of joint cooperation between WIPO and other relevant organizations in Africa.
Accordingly, it is proposed that for this year, two partnerships programs be organized back to back in Addis Ababa. It is expected that this two meetings will build upon the previous programs and further solidify Division’s collaboration with relevant institutions and organizations in Africa.
The first meeting will bring together LDCs from across Africa (English, French speaking and Portuguese speaking LDCs). This will be followed by a sub-regional consultation meeting for the LDCs of the East African Community (EAC). The first initiative will take up a continental and cross regional landscape of issues, whereas the second one will focus on common priority areas in the LDCs of the EAC.
In addition, for the purpose of inter-agency consultations among the c |