International Seminars on the Strategic Use of Intellectual Property for Economic and Social Development

In the new economic environment, policy makers, administrators and users of the intellectual property system are giving more attention to the manner in which the creation, effective use and appropriate management of IPRs can deliver both commercial and economic gains. It is, therefore, important to impart the message that IP is an effective tool, partly because of its adaptability and flexibility, and is most productive when adapted to specific needs and applied with skill and judgement.

Strategic approaches to making use of IP as an effective development tool are diverse in nature, and need to be analyzed in depth in order to determine the most optimal path for a country. One of the strategic goals of WIPO is to promote IP policies and ensure their integration into national development strategies and plans, depending on specific requirements.

Within the above framework, the IPEDD has been entrusted with the task of responding to the need for understanding the dynamics of IP and to analyze the potential of the IP system to promote economic growth. It is required to prepare promotion and outreach material for policy-makers on selected IP issues, to enable them to grasp the intricacies of on-going debates on such issues. The Division is also required to organize interregional programs to promote exchange of experiences on using IP for development.

Therefore, a series of seminars are being organized in the different regions to meet with these objectives. The seminars specifically focus on public policy issues and matters of current concern for policy makers and the IP community and are attended by senior officials managing policy issues, and dealing with both the conceptual and policy framework. The programs have a mix of plenary and break-out sessions, and attempts are made to identify specific areas of concern for the region where they are organized. The seminars also elaborate on the relevant programs and policies of WIPO, and the methodology followed by the Organization while implementing its activities.

In the year 2006, WIPO organized a series of such seminars entitled WIPO International Seminar on the Strategic Use of Intellectual Property for Economic and Social Development to facilitate dialogues at the interregional level to debate issues of common concern and develop cross regional synergies. The seminars were held in

• New Delhi, India (February 2006);
• Muscat, Oman (April 2006);
• Nairobi, Kenya (May 2006);
• Bratislava, Slovakia (July 2006); and
• Bogotá, Colombia (August 2006).

As requests were made for continuing these Seminars in 2007, the following are scheduled during the year: