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Director General Pledges WIPO Support to Mexico

Geneva, March 6, 2000
Press Updates UPD/2000/89

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, presented on Thursday medals to three Mexican inventors in recognition of their outstanding inventions. The award ceremony was part of an official visit by Dr. Idris to Mexico City, where he met top officials and representatives of the private sector, as well as academia and pledged WIPO's continued support to Mexico in modernizing its intellectual property infrastructure.

At a gathering held at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (SECOFI) and including some 200 participants, the Director General highlighted the growing importance of intellectual property in the knowledge-based economies of today. "The society of the 21st century is a knowledge-based society in which wealth creation is no longer based on bricks and mortar…knowledge and information have already emerged as key factors of production and will soon rival the classical components of the economy…land, labor and capital," he said. Dr. Idris underlined that "Today intellectual property must be understood as a tool of economic growth and economic development, as a tool for wealth creation."

In his speech, the Director General emphasized the importance of intellectual property in promoting social, cultural and economic development. "Intellectual property rights are the source of human existence and co-existence. They are foreign to no culture and native to all nations."

Dr. Idris honored three Mexican inventors by conferring upon them WIPO Gold Medals. "The WIPO Gold Medal Award…aims at stimulating invention and innovation around the world. The objective is to improve the image of inventors through recognition of their merits as creators of substantive input to national wealth and development especially in developing countries," he said.

The medals were presented to Mr. Juan Celada Salmón, Mr. Luis Rafael Herrera Estrella and to the late Mr. Guillermo González Camerena "for their great contribution to the development of technology with a strong impact in three very important areas of human activity - media and communication, heavy industry and agriculture", respectively.

In Mexico, the Director General held a series of fruitful and useful meetings with top Mexican officials. These included meetings with Dr. Herminio Blanco Mendoza, Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. Miguel Limón Rojas, Minister of Education, Ambassador Carlos de Icaza, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Everardo Moreno Cruz, Acting Attorney General, Senator Norberto Corrella Gil, President of the Senate Committee for the Development of Small and Medium-Size Enterprises, Mr. Jorge Amigo Castañeda, Director General, Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) and Mr. Crisóforo Peralta, Director General, National Institute of Copyright (INDA).

In his talks with Mexican officials, the Director General praised Mexico's efforts to modernize its intellectual property system and enhance the protection of intellectual property throughout the country. Dr. Idris also pledged WIPO's continued commitment to support Mexico in its modernization efforts in the field of intellectual property. Mexican officials praised WIPO's vision and reaffirmed their support to Dr. Idris' leadership in strengthening the Organization to effectively respond to the new international scenario.

Dr. Idris welcomed Mexico's recent decision to ratify the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), which ensures copyright protection when works are disseminated through new technologies and communications systems such as the Internet. The decision to ratify the WCT was taken by the Senate and published in the official Gazette on March 1, 2000. The next step is for Mexico to deposit its instrument of ratification with the Director General of WIPO.

During the visit, the Director General signed a cooperation agreement with the Minister for Trade and Industry and the head of IMPI. As a result of the Agreement, WIPO will provide assistance in strengthening the legal framework for the protection of intellectual property in Mexico, human resources training, and strategic planning. The Agreement also calls for technical cooperation in the automation of industrial property information services as well as for the promotion of the corporate image of IMPI.

WIPO is also providing expert advice to INDA in the context of a Nationally Focused Action Plan (NFAP) in the area of copyright. The NFAP will assist in modernizing the technical and administrative infrastructure of INDA. Training will also be provided as well as help in promoting awareness of the importance of intellectual property protection.

Mexico is party to 12 key treaties administered by WIPO, including the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Mexico recently ratified the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT).

For additional information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:

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