IP/C/R/TC/NZL/1  
 
22 September 2022  
(22-7105) Page: 1/5 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
NEW ZEALAND  
The following communication, dated 9 September 2022 , is b eing circulated at the request  of the 
delegation of New Zealand . 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.  The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) provides on -going technical assistance 
on request to developing and least developed countries. New Zealand will continue to support future 
work, on request, to improve the intellectual property systems of  developing countries.  
2.  IPONZ is recognised for its efficient and effective online services, high quality examination and 
registration processes. As a result, IPONZ hosts delegations and study visits from developing and 
least developed countries to provide practical training and knowledge sharing.  
3.  Recently, IPONZ's ability to assist has been impacted by the COVID -19 pandemic and restrictions 
at the New Zealand border. With these restrictions easing IPONZ can offer its assistance more readily 
again.  
2  THE PLANT VARIETY RIGHTS OFFICE (PVRO)  
4.  New Zealand  has been a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties 
of Plants (UPOV) since 1981. A key element of UPOV is cooperation between member States and 
the harmonisation of testing and exa mination activity. On an as requested basis, New Zealand 
supplies variety test reports to several members and utilises testing results from other States for 
the Rights decision here. Such activity encourages on going sharing and exchange of technical 
exper ience and expertise between UPOV member States.  
5.  New Zealand continues to actively participate in the Council, Consultative Committee, 
Administrative and Legal Committee, Technical Committee and the Technical Working Parties for 
Agriculture, Ornamentals and  for Fruit. New Zealand is currently the chair of the Technical Working 
Party for Fruit Crops through to 2023. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of 
Plants (UPOV) conducted all meetings in 2021 by virtual means.  
3  AANZFTA ECONOMIC CO OPERATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME  
6.  The ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) mandates a programme of 
technical assistance activities to assist AANZFTA Parties to operationalise and implement the 
Agreement, particularly the "Economic Cooperation " chapter of AANZFTA. Until June 2022 this was 
known as the AANZFTA Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP). New Zealand has 
committed to continue to fund the AECSP successor programme, the AANZFTA Implementation 
Support (AIS) Programme, which will con tinue to support AANZFTA Parties to operationalise and 
implement the Agreement. The successor programme will enter implementation by the end of 2022. 
The AECSP is jointly funded by Australia and New Zealand.  IP/C/R/ TC/NZL/1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  7.  Projects funded by the AECSP are available to a ll ten ASEAN member States. The aim of AANZFTA 
Economic Cooperation is to facilitate AANZFTA implementation; progress built -in agenda 
negotiations; achieve deeper economic integration among the parties; and increase business 
utilisation of AANZFTA. Numerou s AECSP projects focus on intellectual property , including:  
• Assistance for ASEAN Member States to accede to the Madrid Protocol and implement it 
post accession, facilitating trademark registration regionally and globally.  
• Projects to strengthen ASEAN Memb er States' institutional capacity to design and adopt a 
high-quality, consistent, and sustainable approach to patent examination and tailored 
training -through three intertwined projects: Regional Patent Examination Training (RPET), 
Ideal Patent Examination  Training (IPET) Model, and the RPET Mentoring Programme.  
• Development  of a Regional Intellectual Property Public Education and Awareness Strat egy 
and a pool of resources (e.g., IP for Business Portal , handbook , and guide ) to raise 
awareness of AANZFTA business communities and IP creators about strategic IP 
management, helping them reap the benefits of AANZFTA through innovation and applying 
for and using their IP rights . 
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  IP/C/R/TC/NZL/1  
 
- 3 - ANNEX1 
Name of programme or project  Information sharing regarding New Zealand's accession to the Madrid Protocol and Paris Convention  
Date and end date  11 August 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Fiji 
Brief description  IPONZ Officials made written and oral submissions to the Fiji Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence 
to share information and experiences regarding New Zealand's accession to the Madri d Protocol and Paris 
Convention  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ)  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Information sharing on geographical indication protection in New Zealand  
Date and end date  24 November 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  A New Zealand representative shared information on geographical indication protection in New Zealand at an 
"Information session on Geographical Indications" at the 43rd Standing Committee on Trade Marks, Industrial 
Designs and Geographical Indications, Geneva, Switzerland (virtual)  
Benefici ary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ)  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
 
1 In English only .  
  IP/C/R/TC/NZL/1  
 
- 4 - Name of programme or project  Technical guidance under the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops  
Date and end date  4 September 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  In the capacity as Chair of the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops, New Zealand participated in seminars 
providing information on variety testing to UPOV member states and the plant breeding community  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Technical guidance under the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops  
Date and end date  17 September 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  In the capacity as Chair of the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops, New Zealand participated in seminars 
providing information on variety testing to UPOV member states and the plant breedin g community  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Technical guidance under the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops  
Date and end date  24 March 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  In the capacity as Chair of the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops, New Zealand participated in seminars 
providing information on variety testing to UPOV member states and the plant breeding community  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
  
  IP/C/R/TC/NZL/1  
 
- 5 - Name of programme or project  Technical guidance under the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops  
Date and end date  12 April 2022  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  In the capacity as Chair of the UPOV Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops, New Zealand participated in seminars 
providing information on variety testing to UPOV member states and the plant breeding community  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Information sharing on experience joining the Budapest Treaty  
Date and end date  10 June 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  New Zealand presented at a seminar and shared motivations and challenges faced when joining the Budapest 
Treaty.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Practical training on image analysis for DUS testing  
Date and end date  2 December 2021  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office representative was on a panel at a seminar on the use of image analysis 
for DUS testing  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  New Zealand Plant Variety Rights Office  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
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