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1. The cooperation for development between the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the World Intellectual Property Organizations (WIPO) is based on the LDCs’ Ministerial decisions and various initiatives of the Director General.
2. Strengthening LDCs’ institutional capacity to use intellectual property (IP) for economic growth and development requires appropriate policies and strategies.
3. The focus of WIPO technical assistance for the benefit of LDCs also resonates well with a number of United Nations decisions concerning the development of the LDCs. The Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) adopted during the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (UN LDC IV) highlights the need for greater cooperation at national, regional and international level to afford LDCs with enhanced capacity in science, technology and innovation. In IPoA, LDCs development partners, UN system organizations and the LDCs affirmed jointly their resolve to strengthen partnerships in the area of innovation and technological capacity building.
4. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at the UN Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2015, also emphasizes the critical role of science, technology and innovation for development purposes.
5. The Work Plan of 2016 under 2016-2017 Program and Budget of the Division for Least Developed Countries, contained collaboration with organizations and institutions at the national, regional and inter-regional level in the area of IP and Development. Accordingly, it is now proposed for the organization of a two day regional capacity building program in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asian and Pacific (UN ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6 to 7, 2016.
6. The planned meeting in Bangkok, will be the second such meeting to be organized in cooperation with the UN ESCAP (WIPO and UN ESCAP successfully organized the first joint meeting f |