05 October 2016 — The Philippines stressed the role of innovation as a key ingredient in pursuing development, exhorting the international community to continue efforts to diffuse knowledge and protect intellectual property (IP) rights during the 56thGeneral Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
WIPO is a specialized UN agency tasked with protecting and promoting intellectual property rights.
In her remarks, Director-General Josephine Santiago of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said that “The Philippines has sustained its momentum in building an innovation hub in the region. We continue to equalize the playing field as we take the lead in helping create and protect ideas with the ultimate goal of fostering innovation and practical market application.”
Noting that the Philippines had advanced nine notches in the Global Innovation Index and six notches in the Index of Economic Freedom, Director-General Santiago highlighted a seven-point agenda (SMELT-IP) that included a more accessible IP regime, an aggressive dissemination of IP knowledge, and support for local industries. She added that the Philippines had achieved significant progress in its enforcement functions and dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as in protecting the indigenous knowledge systems and practices of the country’s Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Communities.
Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva, agreed with the importance of using IP as a potent tool for economic development. “Our work in WIPO is imbued with a clear and detailed development agenda: our actions aim to protect and promote intellectual property in order to spur growth and innovation in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
“Through WIPO, we look at ways we can democratize access to information and technology, promote meaningful and rules-based relationships between creators and other players in the global marketplace, and narrow development gaps by empowering micro-, small-, and medium-sized businesses,” the Ambassador added.
The annual General Assembly, which will run until October 11, will discuss various issues including the possibility of a Design Law Treaty and the opening of external WIPO offices. END