The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to notify that the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement), adopted at Geneva on May 20, 2015, will enter into force on February 26, 2020, that is, three months after the deposit by the fifth eligible party of its instrument of ratification or accession.
In this connection, it is recalled that instruments of ratification or accession of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement were deposited:
- on March 9, 2018, by the Kingdom of Cambodia
- on June 26, 2019, by the Republic of Albania
- on October 2, 2019, by the Independent State of Samoa
- on October 8, 2019, by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- on November 26, 2019, by the European Union.
Consequently, in accordance with the provision of Article 29(2) of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement will enter into force on February 26, 2020, with respect to the five States and Intergovernmental Organization referred to above.
An instrument of accession was also deposited, on September 28, 2018, by the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. This accession will enter into force in accordance with Article 28(3)(b).
November 26, 2019