WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
6 August 2001
(01-3884)
Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries
WIPO-WTO JOINT INITIATIVE ON TECHNICAL COOPERATION FOR LEAST-
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
Note by the Secretariat
1. At the 25th session of the Sub-Committee on Least-Developed Countries held on 20 July 2001, the
Secretariat was invited to report on the recently launched WIPO-WTO Joint Initiative on Technical
Cooperation for Least-Developed Countries (LDCs).1  At that meeting, some delegations expressed an
interest in also obtaining information on the Joint Initiative in a written form.  The purpose of this
note is to respond to that request.
2. The Joint Initiative was launched by the Director-General of the WTO, Mr. Mike Moore, and the
Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris, at a ceremony held at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva
on Thursday 14 June 2001.  At the launching ceremony, which also involved representatives fromleast-developed countries, the two Directors-General signed a joint communication to be sent to all
least-developed countries' governments, informing them of the initiative and inviting their active
participation.  The text of this joint communication is contained in the Annex to this note.
2
3. The Joint Initiative is aimed at helping LDC Members of the WTO comply with their obligations
under the TRIPS Agreement and make best use of the intellectual property system for their economic,
social and cultural development.  It is open to othe r LDCs as well.  It is being carried out under the
auspices of the WIPO-WTO cooperation agreement, which came into force on 1 January 1996.  ThisAgreement, which provides for cooperation, inter alia , in the provision of technical assistance.  The
Joint Initiative builds on existing cooperation between WIPO and the WTO and on each
organization's own existing technical assistance programmes.
4. Under the Joint Initiative for LDCs, the two Orga nizations, together with countries requesting
assistance, and, where appropriate, donor countries, will endeavour to maximize the use of availableresources in the coming critical period by ensuring that technical cooperation activities are efficiently
planned and coordinated.  The Joint Initiative envisages assistance in two phases:
− In the first phase of the initiative, the two Organizations will organize two regional
workshops in the year 2002, one for the least-developed Sub-Saharan Africancountries and Haiti, and the other for the LDCs in the Asia-Pacific region.  The
objective of these workshops will be to ensure that officials from these countries arefully familiar with the basic concepts, principles, rights and obligations laid down in
                                                     
1 The Secretariat informed the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights on the
launch of the Joint Initiative at the Council's meeting held on 18-22 June 2001.  The TRIPS Council was alsoinformed about the preparations of  the initiative at its meetings held in November 2000 and April 2001
(documents IP/C/M/29 and IP/C/M/30).
2 A WTO press release, dated 14 June 2001, was circulated in conjunction with the launch of the Joint
Initiative.  A press release was issued simultaneously by WIPO.WT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
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the TRIPS Agreement, in particular with a view to facilitating its implementation and
identifying critical implementation challenges.  Invitations to these workshops will be
extended to all LDCs, whether or not members of the WTO and/or WIPO.
− These workshops, together with bilateral contacts, will also help to draw up a list of
priority forms of assistance that should be provided under the Joint Initiative in the
second phase, which will focus on country specific action plans.
5. Requests for technical cooperation under the initiative can be sent to either Organization.WT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
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ANNEX
The text of the joint communication signed by the two Directors-General on 14 June 2001
_______________
Joint Initiative on Technical Cooperation
for Least-Developed Countries
provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
and the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Madam,
Sir,
We have the honor to address you on an important matter.  As you are aware, the obligations
under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement)
will come into force on January 1, 2006, in the case of least-developed country Members of the WTO.For these countries, fulfilling this commitment poses a considerable challenge;  however, it also
presents numerous opportunities to utilize intellectual property for accelerating their economic, social,
and cultural development.
We have the pleasure to inform you that the WIPO and the WTO are launching a joint
initiative on technical cooperation to assist least- developed countries to meet this challenge.  This
joint initiative is being taken under the auspices  of the Agreement Between the World Intellectual
Property Organization and the World Trade Organi zation, which came into force on January 1, 1996.
This Agreement provides, inter alia , that the two Organizations will cooperate in providing legal-
technical assistance and technical cooperation related to the TRIPS Agreement for developing country
Members of either of the two Organizations.  The joint initiative is intended to build on the existing
cooperation between the two Organizations and their existing programs in this connection.
In the first phase of the initiative, the two Or ganizations will organize two regional workshops
in the year 2002, one for the least-developed sub-Saharan African countries and Haiti, and the other
for the least-developed countries in the Asia-Pacific region.  The objective of these workshops will be
to ensure that officials from these countries are fully familiar with the basic concepts, principles and
obligations laid down in the TR IPS Agreement, in particular with a view to facilitating its
implementation and identifying critical implementation challenges.  Invitations to these workshopswill be extended also to those least-developed countries that are neither Members of the WTO nor
Member States of the WIPO.  These workshops, together with bilateral contacts, will also help to
draw up a list of priority forms of assistance that should be provided under the joint initiative in the
second phase, which will focus on country specific action plans.
Under this joint initiative, the two Organizations commit themselves to use available
resources to provide, on request, assistance to enable least-developed country Members of the WTO
to comply with obligations under the TRIPS Agreem ent within the applicable  time limits.  Our twoWT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
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Organizations will provide technical cooperation, both individually and jointly, using both in-house
resources and outside experts, and, wherever appropriate, in conjunction with donor countries.  The
joint initiative aims to facilitate enhanced utilization of programs both in respect of the provision of
substantive intellectual property rights and in respect of procedures and remedies for their
enforcement, which is an integral part of the TRIPS Agreement.
Please find annexed to this letter a list of the forms of assistance and cooperation that are
available on request from your Government.  This is not an exhaustive list and we will give
consideration to requests for other forms of assistance that you may require, within the limits of our
resources.
We hope that this initiative will enable your Government to utilize the resources and expertise
of our two Organizations in implementing the TRIPS Agreement and making use of it for your
country’s benefit.  Requests for technical cooperation under this initiative can be sent to eitherOrganization.
This letter is being sent to the Permanent Repr esentatives of least-developed countries to the
WIPO and to the WTO and copies to their industrial property offices and copyright offices.
Accept, Madam, Sir, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Kamil Idris Mike Moore
Director General Director-General
World Intellectual Property Organization World Trade Organization.....WT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
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ANNEX (to the Joint Communication)
FORMS OF ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Assistance Regarding Legislation
• Advice on compatibility of existing legislation with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement
• Advice on the preparation of new legislation including the preparation of draft legislation with
commentaries or explanatory notes or the prep aration of comments and suggestions on draft laws
or legislative provisions prepared by Governments
• Preparation of draft implementing regulations including schedules of fees and forms
Notification Obligations under the TRIPS Agreement
• Assistance in meeting the notification obligations under the TRIPS Agreement
Human Resource Development
• International, regional, sub-regional and national meetings to explain and discuss the provisions
and implications of the TRIPS Agreement
• Training courses, fellowships, study visits, advisory missions and on-the-job training
• Special meetings and courses for policy makers/advisors, officials, judiciary and enforcement
agencies (customs/police), attorneys, scientific, research and academic institutions, inventors and
inventors’ associations, etc.
• Assistance regarding technology transfer and licensing arrangements
• Teaching of intellectual property law
Institution Building and Modernization of Intellectual Property System
• Establishing and modernizing intellectual property offices
• Assisting the setting up of collective administrations for copyright
• Preparation of work manuals and rationalization and simplification of work procedures
• Information technology, automation and computerization
• Patent information services
• Collaboration with regional and national training institutions
• Preparation and implementation of Nationally Focused Action Plans (NFAPs), inter alia , for the
above.
Enforcement
• Training of trainers
• Networking of and coordination among the enforcement agencies
• Facilitating the creation of data bases
• Special fora for judiciary
• Training for enforcement agencies including customs and police officials
• Liaison with the private sector and rights holders associations.WT/COMTD/LDC/W/21
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Online
• Provision of information through the Internet websites of the two Organizations (www.wipo.int
and www.wto.org)
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