Ministers and other senor government officials from least developed countries agreed to a strategy for using intellectual property to encourage local innovation and encourage foreign investment at a recent WIPO Forum. The ministers also discussed the challenges facing LDCs in this area, in particular the difficulties for LDCs to obtain better access to technological information.
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry told participants that IP is a key element in reducing the knowledge gap and the digital divide.
Mrs. Mpeo Mahase Moiloa, Lesotho’s Minister for Law and Constitutional Affairs, said formulating national policies that integrate strategic use of IP is a priority for LDCs. She noted that LDCs will reap the benefits of IP once IP considerations are fully integrated into national policies.
Ethiopia’s Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Juneydi Saddo, called for WIPO’s support in manpower training and bridging the technology gap, noting that “intellectual property is critical to this.”
A Ministerial Declaration urged WIPO to intensify its capacity-building assistance for LDCs and to support LDCs in improving competitiveness of their enterprises through regular access to new technologies. The Declaration also appealed to development partners to make more funds available for LDC-specific projects.
Tanzania’s Minister for Industry, Trade and Marketing, Mrs. Mary Nagu, said that while LDCs once viewed IP as a monopoly tool, they now see it as “an instrument for sustainable development.” Mrs. Nagu said her country has put in place comprehensive copyright laws that have created opportunities for developing the entertainment industry and contributing positively to the country’s gross domestic product.
Filed under: Innovation | Tagged: economic development, Innovation, intellectual property, least-developed countries, World Intellectual Property Association
