| Description: |
The Director General approved the memorandum dated February 16, 2016, regarding the follow up to the Dakar Ministerial Conference (see attached). The follow-up activities include among others a study visit to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of intellectual property (IP) focal points from the African Union, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the following African Regional Economic Communities (RECs):
Communauté économique et monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC);
Communauté des États Sahélo-sahariens (CEN-SAD)
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA);
East African Community (EAC);
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS);
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS);
Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD);
Southern African Development Community (SADC);
Commission de l’Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA); and
Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA)
It is now proposed to organize the three-day study visit to WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, from May 17 to 19, 2016.
The study visit will create an opportunity for the officials from the AU, NEPAD and the RECs to: meet and exchange views with WIPO officials from the different sectors; obtain a general overview of the organization and familiarize themselves with WIPO’s technical assistance and capacity building programs; and share their respective organizations’ work in the area of IP and innovation in the continent and discuss and identify possible areas of cooperation within the Dakar Declaration on IP Africa which was adopted by the 2016 African Union Summit. |