IP/C/R/TC/AUS/2  
 
23 September 2021  
(21-7108)  Page: 1/7 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
AUSTRALIA  
The following communication, dated 15 September 2021 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Australia . 
 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.  Australia is committed to sharing information with other WTO Members on its  technical and 
financial cooperation activities in the area of intellectual property rights in fulfilment of Article 67 of 
the TRIPS Agreement. This is a full report on Australia 's intellectual property -related technical 
cooperation  activities with developing and least developed countries. It builds upon annual update 
reports provided in 2012 ( document IP/C/W/582/Add.2), 2013 ( document IP/C/W/593/Add.7), 2014 
(document IP/C/W/601), 2 015 ( document IP/C/W/610/Add.4), 2016 ( document 
IP/C/W/617/Add.1), 2017 ( document IP/C/W/632/Add.1), 2018 ( document IP/C/W/647/Add.2), 
2019 ( document IP/C/W/655/Add.4) and 2020 ( document IP/C/R/TC/AUS/1).  
2.  Australia fulfils its Article 67 technical cooperation commitment through multilateral, regional and 
bilateral program mes and activities. Many activities are focused on developing and least developed 
countries in the Indo -Pacific region. Australia works closely with the World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat and other 
partners to assist developing and least developed countries to build their intellectual property 
capacity and systems.  
3.  Many of the technical cooperation activitie s implemented under Article 67 of the 
TRIPS  Agreement align with Australia 's strategic focus on using aid as a c atalyst to promot e 
economic g rowth and poverty reduction. This is embedded in the UN Sustainable Development 
Goals and our future investments, including activities under the WIPO -Australia Funds in Trust 
programme , will in turn be influenced by these goals.  
4.  Websites containing information on Australia 's intell ectual property regime, which may be 
considered a technical cooperation resource, include the IP Australia website covering patents, 
designs, trademarks and plant breeders ' rights ( www.ipaustralia.gov.au ); the Department of 
Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website on copyright 
developments ( www.communications.gov.au/what -we-do/copyright ); and the Department of 
Foreign Affairs and Trade website on international IP developments ( www.dfat.gov.au/ip ). 
2  AUSTRALIAN ACTIVITIES WITH THE WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROP ERTY 
ORGANIZATION (WIPO)  
2.1  Australia -WIPO Funds in Trust  
• In 2019, the Australian Government and WIPO agreed to a third iteration of the 
Australia -WIPO Funds in Trust (FiT3) with the commitment of an additional AUD  800,000. The IP/C/R/TC/AUS/2  
 
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  program me will run until 30 Mar ch 2022. The Australian Government has previously provided 
AUD 5 million to WIPO from 2012 to 30 June 2019. This funding promotes economic growth in 
partner countries by helping to develop and implement Intellectual Property (IP) systems, build 
capabilitie s in IP and facilitate technology transfer. FiT helps to create an enabling environment for 
private sector innovation and domestic and foreign investment. There are four themes under the 
FiT3 programme : development of the intellectual property system; tech nology transfer (knowledge 
transfer and commercialisation); addressing neglected tropical diseases; and copyright and related 
rights to assist the blind, visually impaired and other persons with print disabilities. FiT3 programme s 
are developed in consulta tion with WIPO and recipient countries. Due to the global COVID -19 
pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions a number of planned activities under this agreement 
have been postponed.  
3  OTHER MULTILATERAL AND REGIONAL ACTIVITIES  
3.1  Economic Cooperation Support  Program under the ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand 
Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA)  
5.  The AANZFTA 's Economic Cooperation Support Program (AECSP) consists of the Economic 
Cooperation Work Program and the AANZFTA Support Unit located in the ASEAN Secretariat. The 
AECSP was established in 2010 as a five-year programme  with funding of AUD 20 -25 million. Th e 
Program , which was subsequently extended further, aims to support the ASEAN Secretariat in 
servicing the AANZFTA Joint Committee and its subsidiary bodies to assist ASEAN Members, 
particularly least developed countries, with AANZFTA 's implementation. Int ellectual property is a 
vital component of the AECSP, with the objective being to 'provide comprehensive support for the 
development of sound and balanced intellectual property systems in the AANZFTA region '. The 
following paragraph outlines one of the int ellectual property outcomes achieved under the AECSP 
with further detail provided in the annex to this report.   
6.  In 2017, IP Australia designed a second phase of the Regional Patent Examination Training 
(RPET) to deliver sustainable results in embedding the  RPET learnings and best practice into internal 
patent examination training (RPET Mentoring). Experienced IP Australia Mentors were assigned to 
each participating office, and all countries developed competency -based training modules, 
customised to their na tional legislation and practice. This project was concluded in December 2020 
with a number of outcomes including the development of individualised competency -based training 
(CBT) programme s, and development of new Quality Management Framework with product quality 
standards and record keeping to support improvement in patent examination practices.  
 
 
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  IP/C/R/TC/AUS/2  
 
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Name of programme or project  Economic Cooperation Support Program  under the ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand Free 
Trade Agreement (AANZFTA)  
Date and end date  1 January 2010 - 1 January 2022  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The AANZFTA 's Economic Cooperation Support Program (AECSP) consists of an Economic Cooperation 
Work Program and the AANZFTA Support Unit located within the ASEAN Secretariat. The AECSP was 
established in 2010 as a five -year programme  with funding of AUD 20 -25 million. The Progra m, which 
was subsequently extended until December 2021, aims to support the ASEAN Secretariat in servicing 
the AANZFTA Joint Committee and its subsidiary bodies to assist ASEAN Member States, particularly 
least developed countries, with AANZFTA 's implement ation. Intellectual property is a vital component 
of AANZFTA and the AECSP work programme . The objective of the IP work is to 'provide comprehensive 
support for the development of sound and balanced intellectual property systems in the AANZFTA 
region '.  
Beneficiary institution or audience  ASEAN Member States are the audience and ODA eligible states receive support. Non -ODA eligible 
ASEAN countries fund their own engagement.  
Technical cooperation provider(s)  A mix of Australian, New Zealand and ASEAN Member States government agencies and private 
providers managed through a centralised support unit embedded in the ASEAN Secretariat.   
Outputs or impact  Technical assistance and capacity building.  
Website for further information  https://aanzfta.asean.org/   
https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agre ements/in -force/aanzfta/Pages/asean -australia -new-zealand -
free-trade -agreement  
Contact point for further information   
 
 
1 In English only .  
  IP/C/R/TC/AUS/2  
 
- 4 - Name of programme or project  Funds in Trust - Development of an online training programme  on the Madrid System 
accession and implementa tion process  
Date and end date  1 January 2021 - 31 December 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  In collaboration with WIPO developed a suit of online training programme s on post accession 
implementation of the Madrid Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International 
Registration of Marks.  
 
The Modules are targeted at IP Offices and cover best practice office processing.  
 
Development of promotional content to raise awareness of the Madrid course and to assist IP Offices 
in promoting the course and Madrid System to local users.  
Beneficiary i nstitution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  WIPO  
Outputs or impact  1977 students enrolled in May 2021 course  
Website for further information  http://welc.wipo.int/acc/index.jsf?page=courseCatalog.xhtml&lang=en&cc=DL303E#plus_DL303E  
Contact point for further information  Charlo tte Iggulden – charlotte.iggulden@ipaustralia.gov.au  
 
Name of programme or project  Funds in Trust - Accessible Books Consortium  
Date and end date  1 January 2021 - 31 December 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  Training in accessible book production to be held in Viet  Nam, Indonesia and Myanmar. Training to 
Indonesian, Vietnamese and Myanmarese students with print impairments in the use of technology for 
accessing and reading materials in accessible formats will be held. Activities are ongoing  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  Accessible Books Consortium  
Outputs or impact  Training provided on how to produce digitally accessible books.  
Indonesia : 400 books published  
Viet Nam: 525 books published  
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information  Charlotte Iggulden charlotte.iggulden@ipaustralia.gov.au  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/AUS/2  
 
- 5 - Name of programme or project  AECSP - Regional Patent Examination Training Mentoring (RPET Mentoring)  
Date and end date  1 June 2017 - 31 December 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  IP Australia delivered technical assistance, supported by the ASEAN Support Unit embedded within the 
ASEAN Secretariat.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outp uts or impact  New competency -based patent examination training programmes were developed and implemented 
for each of the five participating offices, tailored to national legislation and practice.  
 
RPEM delivered a number of outcomes:  
• Establishment of a new quality m anagement framework for Intellectual Property Office of the 
Philippines (IPOPHL) , Intellectual Property Cooperation of Malaysia (MyIPO), Thailand 's Department 
of Intellectual Property (DIP) and IP Viet  Nam.  
• Development of online Train -the-Trainer modul es for IPOPHL, MyIPO, and DIP to increase 
internal capability to train examiners transitioning into trainer roles.  
• Development of a masterclass series of online advanced patent concepts for IPOPHL, MyIPO, 
DIP, and IP Viet  Nam.  
• Development of an effic ient examination module for IPOPHL, MyIPO, DIP, and IP Viet  Nam to 
help examiners understand how to approach patent examination efficiently.  
IP Viet  Nam only – Updated foundation and basic searching concepts in an existing 
handbook/guidelines document that  assists patent examiners during the examination.  
Website for further information  https://aanzfta.asean.org/  
Contact point for further information  Charlotte Iggulden – charlotte.iggulden@ipaustralia.gov.au  
  
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- 6 - Name of programme or project  International Fund for Cultural Diversity  
Date and end date  1 January 2010  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD) is a multi -donor fund established under Article 18 
of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions 
2005 (2005 Convention) to which Australia is a signatory. The IFCD promotes sustainable development 
and poverty reduction by funding projects in developing countries that foster the emergence of 
dynamic cultural sectors, revitalisation of the local economy and create positive social change.  
 
The Office for the Arts (OFTA) in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development 
and Communications is responsible for implementing programme s and policies that meet Australia 's 
obligations under the IFCD as a signatory to the 2005 Conventio n.  
 
UNESCO calls for member state contributions to IFCD annually. Australia makes voluntary 
contributions to the IFCD where feasible to support Australia 's international obligations under the 2005 
Convention and demonstrate practically its commitment to s upporting UNESCO international 
cooperation and assistance for developing countries.  
 
Since the IFCD was established in 2010, the OFTA (on behalf of Australia) has made a total voluntary 
contribution of AU D 452,226. (AU D 98,201 in 2020; AU D 105,333 in 2018 ; AUD 88,692 in 2016; 
AUD 80,000 in 2013; and AU D 80,000 in 2011.)  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  UNESCO  
Outputs or impact  Since 2010, the IFCD has provided more than US D 8 million in funding for 114 projects in 58 developing 
countries, covering a wide range of areas, from the development and implementation of cultural 
policies, to capacity -building of cultural entrepreneurs, mapping of cultural industries and the creation 
of new cultural industry busi ness models.  
Website for further information  http://en.unesco.org/creativity/ifcd  
Contact point for further information  convention2005. ifcd@unesco.org  
  
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- 7 - Name of programme or project  AANZFTA Enhancement of Trade Mark Quality Management  
Date and end date  1 January 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The objective of the project is for beneficiary ASEAN Member States (AMS) to gain an in -depth 
understanding of quality and an enhanced capacity to design and implement quality management 
practices.  
  
Developing the processes, tools and systems to support high quality trademark examination and 
predictable services is a common challenge to IP Offices. Some AMS IP Offices have a quality 
management system in place, some are in the process of developing quality management processes 
and practices, while others are in early stages of introducing quali ty principles into office practice. IP 
Australia, along with the IP offices of New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines, is sharing 
experiences of quality management, with a view to assisting beneficiary ASEAN IP Offices to develop 
their own incremental approach to quality management.  
Beneficiary institution or audience  AMS (excluding Singapore who joined the project as a participating office, not a beneficiary)  
Technical cooperation provider(s)  IP Australia delivered technical assistance, supported by the ASEAN Support Unit embedded within the 
ASEAN Secretariat.  
Outputs or impact  The project aims to contribute to increased capability in the region for improving of developing 
trademark quality management processes. Phase 1 saw the completion of a gap analysis – through 
questionnaire and interview the current quality management processes and objectives of each 
participating AMS IP Office was determined. Phase 2 continues to explore issues connected with quality 
management, particularly those identified in Phase 1 such as the practical steps to independent quality 
review, drafting quality standards and management engagement.  
Website for further information  https://aanzfta.asean.org/  
Contact point fo r further information  Charlotte Iggulden – charlotte.iggulden@ipaustralia.gov.au  
 
 
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