WIPO Pledges Support to Republic of Belarus
Geneva, June 12, 2003
Press Updates UPD/2003/196
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, has pledged the Organization's continuing support to the government of Belarus in further reinforcing its intellectual property system. In talks with top government officials in Minsk on June 10 and 11, 2003, including President Alexander Lukashenko, Dr. Idris welcomed Belarus' efforts to modernize its legislative intellectual property framework and other initiatives to ensure that the vast human capital of the nation is best exploited for economic growth and development.
In addition to a meeting with the President, Dr. Idris held talks with the Prime Minister, Gennadi Novitski, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Andrei Kobyakov, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sergei Martynov, the Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, Mr. Anatoly Rusetsky, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alexander Gerasimenko, the President of the National Center of Intellectual Property, Mr. Valeryi Kudashov, and the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Mr. Mikhail Myasnikovich.
In his discussions, the Director General reiterated the strategic importance of intellectual property in the future economic, social and cultural development of Belarus. A memorandum of understanding was signed to build on WIPO's existing cooperation with Belarus, in particular in the area of institution-building and human resources training. Dr. Idris welcomed President Lukashenko's commitment to building a strong intellectual property system. They agreed the future wealth of Belarus lay in the vast creative potential of its people. Dr. Idris recalled that the only resources that are inexhaustible are the products of the mind and encouraged Belarus to exploit the huge creative potential of its people. Intellectual property is of pivotal importance to Belarus in its drive to convert its innovative potential into tangible economic assets and thereby to promote economic development.
Dr. Idris lauded the government of Belarus for its vision and foresight in strengthening the national intellectual property system. The Director General said that in today's knowledge-based economic environment the intellectual property system is a crucial policy tool that enables a country to tap into its creative potential and to foster its economic and technological development. The Director General outlined a number of WIPO initiatives which could be of particular interest to Belarus. These include efforts to help small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) to better exploit the intellectual property system, talks on intellectual property aspects of traditional knowledge and folklore, and WIPONET, a global information network established by WIPO to link over 300 intellectual property offices in all WIPO member states to provide a means of secure communication among all connected parties. The Belarus officials expressed support to the Director General for his leadership of the Organization and his vision to ensure that intellectual property is a tool for growth and development.
During the talks, the Belarus officials reiterated to the Director General their desire to establish an Intellectual Property Center which would promote scientific research, training, innovation and invention. Dr. Idris said WIPO would support the government's efforts to set up this Center, in particular through the WIPO Worldwide Academy.
WIPO's cooperation with Belarus is based on a program that aims to strengthen intellectual property protection in the country. It includes a range activities and training programs to modernize intellectual property legislation in Belarus, upgrade enforcement mechanisms, and strengthen the role of intellectual property in the relevant fields of scientific, technological and economic activities undertaken in Belarus.
The officials assured the visiting WIPO delegation of their intention to join WIPO-administered treaties. Belarus is already party to 16 of the 23 treaties administered by WIPO. Dr. Idris welcomed this strategy and recalled that it is equally important to further develop a national legislative framework which promotes indigenous innovation and creativity. He welcomed the existence of several national bodies on intellectual property within the government.
At a visit to the National Academy of Science, a presentation was made of the Director General's new book, Intellectual Property: A Power Tool for Economic Growth, which explores the importance of recognizing and leveraging national intellectual assets; of anchoring intellectual property concerns firmly within national policy-making; of creating an "IP culture" at every level of society; and of using all available means to extract the maximum value from these assets. The book sets out intellectual property's positive impact on economic growth and its potential for the future, citing specific examples drawn from both the developing and developed world. The presentation was followed by a round-table discussion attended by representatives of government, parliament, academic and scientific circles an the National Center of Intellectual Property
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