11 October 2016 — The Philippines and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized UN agency tasked with helping protect and promote intellectual property rights, renewed their commitment to continue and further strengthen cooperation on intellectual property (IP) matters in a meeting held in Geneva on October 07 on the margins of the 56th WIPO General Assembly.
The Philippines is a member-state of WIPO and a staunch advocate of the use of intellectual property as a tool for development by encouraging innovation, upholding the rights of creators, bridging the gap between creation and market access, and facilitating the diffusion of knowledge and information.
Ms. Josephine Santiago, Director-General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, highlighted the development-oriented priorities of the Philippines on intellectual property, including programs to develop a national strategic IP plan, explore the potential of IP academies, and eventually become an International Searching Authority and International Patent Examining Authority, a designation that will enhance the profile of the Philippines as a regional IP hub.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the U.N. and Other International Organizations in Geneva, drew attention to the upcoming chairmanship of the Philippines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017 and revealed plans to coordinate with the ASEAN Permanent Missions in Geneva to highlight how the region has used, and intends to use, intellectual property as a driving force for economic growth.
WIPO Director-General Francis Gurry welcomed the developments and reiterated the commitment of WIPO in working with all member-states in the development and implementation of programs tailored to their respective interests.
The General Assembly, which started on October 03 and will run until October 11, is the highest policy-making body of WIPO and is set to decide on various issues, including the possibility of a Design Law Treaty and the opening of external WIPO offices in different geographic regions. END
