| Description: |
BACKGROUND
In November 2014, the Registrar General of The Gambia requested the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the finalization of the project on the elaboration of the National Intellectual Property (IP) policy and strategy for the government of the Gambia which had been initiated sometime in 2012. WIPO responded positively by hiring two IP experts, one national and one international, to prepare an executive summary of the two existing audit reports in Industrial Property and Copyright; participate in a national multi stakeholder workshop; and conduct focused group meetings with the view to obtaining an update of the state of IP rights generation, use and administration in the country and incorporating the findings in an IP strategy and Implementation Roadmap for further consideration and validation by Gambian authorities and stakeholders.
Following submission by the experts of the aforementioned reports, these were shared within WIPO for comments and with the Gambian authorities, following which the said comments have been incorporated by the experts in a draft national IPDP and implementation roadmap to be presented at a national validation workshop in the Gambia. Having completed the drafting phase, and in consultation with the Gambian authorities, it is proposed that the second field mission take place as follows:
April 27, 2016: Validation of the draft national IPDP and implementation roadmap for the Gambia.
April 28, 2016: Discussions with key stakeholders on the proposed way forward and obligations of the Gambia under the IPDP. |