WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
17 November 2004 
 
 (04-4973) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English 
 
 
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  INFORMATION FROM 
OTHER INTERGOVERNMEN TAL ORGANIZATIONS 
 
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE PROTECTION 
OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS (UPOV) 
 
Addendum  
  
 The present document reproduces the informa tion on technical and financial cooperation 
activities relevant to the implementation of the TR IPS Agreement, which has been received from the 
UPOV by means of a communication dated 9 November 2004.   
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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNION 
FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS (UPOV) 
FOR THE BENEFIT OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. The membership of UPOV has expanded worldwide, with many new members from 
developing countries and countries in transition to a market economy.  As of 8 November, 2004, the 
number of UPOV members reached 57.  Moreover, 19 countries and two regi onal intergovernmental 
organizations
1 have initiated with the Council of UPOV th e procedure for becoming members of the 
Union.  There are also 46 other countries,2 which have been in contact with the Office of the Union 
with a view to developing legislation in line with the UPOV Convention.  Information available to the 
Office of the Union suggests that the number of  States likely to have laws based on the 
UPOV Convention in the near term may exceed 100. 
 
2. Accordingly, there has been an increase in  the number of requests received from developing 
countries and countries in transition to a market economy for legal and technical assistance in the 
                                                      
 1 Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Egypt,  Georgia, Honduras, Iceland, India, Kazakhstan, 
Mauritius, Morocco, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, 
Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe, as well as the Euro pean Community and the African Intellectual Property 
Organization (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo (16)). 
 
2 Algeria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Burundi, Cambodia, Congo (Democratic Republic of), Cuba, Cyprus, 
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji , Ghana, Greece, Guatemala,  Guyana, Indonesia, Islamic 
Republic of Iran, Jamaica, Kingdom of Bahrain, Lao Pe ople's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, 
Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, 
Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan , Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia. IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
Page 2  
 
preparation and implementation of plant variety prot ection legislation.  In light of their emerging 
needs, UPOV places great importance on legal and te chnical assistance activities, subject to available 
financial and human resources.   
3. There is a demand-driven need to assist UP OV members that have acceded to the Union in 
the more recent past in the implementation of their UPOV-based system of plant variety protection.  
The aim is to enable them to fully enjoy the bene fits and economic incentives the system is able to 
generate.  In the UPOV Programme and Budget for the 2004-2005 Biennium, the Council of UPOV 
approved a sub-programme in relation to services to  members of the Union, with the following 
objectives: 
• To maintain and improve the quality of protection provided by the UPOV system. 
 
• To provide and develop the le gal and technical basis for in ternational cooperation in a 
harmonized approach to plant variety pr otection according to the 1991 Act of the 
Convention.  
 4. UPOV, as the leading institution in all matters of plant variety protection, has the obligation to provide assistance and advice to those countries having decided to become members of UPOV.  For 
this purpose, in the UPOV Programme and Budget for the 2004-2005 Biennium, the Council of 
UPOV also approved a sub-programme to assist possible future members of the Union with the 
following objectives:  
• To assist governments in implementing an effective plant variety rights system. 
 
• To assist governments, particularly governme nts of developing countries and countries in 
transition to a market economy, in the preparation and enactment of legislation conforming with the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention. 
 
5. UPOV has organized several assistance activities, some of them in cooperation with UPOV 
members and other international organizations, particularly the World Intellectual Property 
Organization (WIPO).  They have been carried out for the benefit of developing countries as well as 
other countries, since the policy is that assistance  should be provided where it is most needed to 
implement plant variety protection effectively.   UPOV now organizes, in conjunction with its 
Technical Working Party meetings, preparatory wo rkshops in order to give additional training 
opportunities to new and possible future members of UPOV.  II. PROVISION OF LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL ADVICE AND INFORMATION  
6. UPOV provided advice to States on plant va riety protection laws, commented on draft texts 
and, on request, assisted in preparing drafts of nati onal laws and regulations.  During recent years, it 
has provided assistance or advice on these matters to numerous developing countries.  7. From 1 January, 2003, to 30 September, 2004, the Office of the Union provided information, 
advice or assistance and, in some cases, organized  advisory missions, to the following States:  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
 Page 3 
 
 
 
African/Arab 
Countries Asia/Pacific Latin America/ 
Caribbean Countries in 
Transition to a 
Market Economy 
Algeria Bangladesh Argentina Albania 
Bahrain Cambodia Barbados Armenia 
Burundi China Belize Azerbaijan 
Cameroon Democratic People's 
Republic of Korea Bolivia Bulgaria 
Congo (Democratic 
Republic of the)  India Brazil Kazakhstan 
Egypt Indonesia Chile Kyrgyzstan 
Irak Iran (Islamic Republic 
of)  Colombia Lithuania 
Jordan Lao People's 
Democratic Republic Costa Rica Republic of Moldova 
Lebanon Malaysia El Salvador Romania 
Mauritius Mongolia Jamaica Russian Federation 
Saudi Arabia Myanmar Nicaragua Serbia and Montenegro 
Senegal Pakistan Panama Tajikistan 
Sudan Philippines Paraguay Uzbekistan 
Swaziland Singapore Peru  
Uganda Sri Lanka Suriname  
Zimbabwe Thailand Trinidad and Tobago  
OAPI Turkey  Uruguay  
 Viet Nam   
 
III. SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, SYMP OSIA, TRAINING COURSES 
8. The Office of the Union organized and coope rated in the organization of national seminars 
and symposia on plant variety protection.  UPOV has also organized international seminars and 
extended courses for developing countries on subj ects related to plant variety protection. 
 
9. UPOV has provided speakers and lecturers fo r seminars, workshops, symposia and training 
courses organized by other organizations or govern ments to assist with national efforts in the 
preparation and implementation of plant variety pr otection legislation and to  promote international 
understanding of plant variety protection.  
10. UPOV members continued to cooperate with the Office of the Union in the organization of 
practical training for indivi duals or courses for groups. 
 11. Seminars, workshops, sympos ia and training courses organized by UPOV or supported by 
UPOV, from January 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004 , are summarized in the Annex to this document. 
 
[Annex follows]  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
Page 4 ANNEX 
 
Seminars, Workshops, Symposia, and Traini ng Courses Organized or Supported by UPOV  
from 1 January, 2003, to 30 September 30 2004  
 
Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
(a) Meetings organized/co-organized by UPOV   
2003      
     
19 February   Geneva, 
Switzerland State Agency of Science and 
Intellectual Property of the Kyrgyz Republic Briefing session for a delegation of the 
Kyrgyz Republic Officials of the 
Government of the Kyrgyz Republic 
10 to 14 March  Manila, 
Philippines Ministry of Agriculture of the 
Philippines 
Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Fourth Asian Regional Technical Meeting 
for Plant Variety Protection Officials from Bangladesh, 
Cambodia, China, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam 
17 and 18 March  Phnom Penh, 
Cambodia Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Plant Varieties Under the UPOV Convention Officials, breeders and 
scientists in Cambodia 
18 March  Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO 
Government of Sudan Lecture on Plant Variety Protection Officials of the 
Government of Sudan 
20 and 21 March  Yangon, 
Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture and 
Irrigation of the Union of Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Japan National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants Under the UPOV Convention 
 Officials, researchers and 
breeders in Myanmar   IP/C/W/424/Add.3
 Page 5Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
27 and 28 May  Lima, Peru National Institute for the 
Defense of Competition and 
Intellectual Property Protection (INDECOPI) of Peru National Seminar on Plant Breeders' 
Rights  Officials, patent attorneys, 
representatives of the seed 
industry and experts from the national research centres and universities in Peru 
16 to 20 June  Geneva, Bern 
(Switzerland), 
Angers (France), Wageningen (Netherlands) Plant Variety Protection Offices 
of Switzerland, France, 
Netherlands, and Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Study tour to the Office of the Union and 
to the Plant Variety Protection Offices of 
Switzerland, France, Netherlands as well as of the European Community Officials from Cambodia, 
Lao People's Democratic 
Republic, Myanmar, Singapore and Viet Nam 
30 June to 11 July  Madrid, 
Valencia, Seville, Spain Oficina Española de Variedades 
Vegetales (OEVV),  Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria de 
España (INIA),  
WIPO Third Training Programme for the 
Protection of Varieties of Plants for Ibero-American Countries Officials from Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras, 
Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela 
4 July  Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO Briefing session for a delegation of 
Tajikistan Officials from the 
Government of Tajikistan 
26 July to 2 August Yaounde, 
Cameroon, Dakar,  
Senegal Organisation africaine de la 
propriété intellectuelle  (OAPI) 
Groupe d'étude et de contrôle 
des variétés et des semences  
(GEVES) Advisory mission, part of assistance to 
OAPI which UPOV is carrying out in cooperation with the French Government Official from GEVES,  
Officials from OAPI 
  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
Page 6 Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
19 November Bangkok, 
Thailand Department of Agriculture of 
Thailand, 
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan  National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV 
Convention Government officials, 
breeders and growers from 
Thailand 
20 and 21 November Singapore Intellectual Property Office of 
Singapore (IPOS), Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Japan National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV Convention Government officials, law 
firms and breeding institutions from Singapore 
24 and 25 November Vientiane, Lao 
People's Democratic Republic Ministry of Agriculture and 
Forestry of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Japan  National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV Convention Experts from the 
Government and research centres in Lao PDR 
29 and 30 November Karaj, Islamic 
Republic of Iran Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, 
Iran, International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry 
Areas (ICARDA) National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV Convention Experts and scientists from 
Iran 
2004
     
12 February Kuala Lumpur, 
Malaysia Ministry of Agriculture of 
Malaysia, 
Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries of Japan National Seminar on the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV 
Convention Experts from the 
Government, Malaysian 
Agricultural Research and 
Development Institute, universities and the breeding sector   IP/C/W/424/Add.3
 Page 7Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
16 to 20 February Hanoi, 
Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and 
Rural Development of 
Viet Nam, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Fifth Asian Regional Technical Meeting 
for Plant Variety Protection Officials from Bangladesh, 
Cambodia, China, India, 
Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, 
Thailand, Viet Nam, and 
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet) 
23 and 24 February Bangkok, 
Thailand International Rice Research 
Institute (IRRI), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Training Workshop on Plant Variety 
Protection Participants from 
International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER) and IRRI 
23 March Hammamet, 
Tunisia African Seed Trade Association 
(AFSTA), 
Groupement national 
interprofessionnel des semences et plants (GNIS),  
Ministry of Agriculture, 
Environment and Water 
Resources of Tunisia Regional Seminar on Plant Variety 
Protection under the UPOV Convention Participants mostly 
delegates to the Annual 
Congress 2004 of African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA) 
5 June Seoul, 
Republic of Korea Ministry of Agriculture and 
Forestry of the Republic of Korea Technical Workshop on the Examination 
of New Varieties of Plants under the UPOV Convention Participants from the 
Republic of Korea  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
Page 8 Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
9 to 11 June Beijing, China State Forestry Administration, 
Ministry of Agriculture, 
State Intellectual Property Office of China, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Workshop on Data Handling Officials from China, 
Mongolia, Singapore and 
Viet Nam 
12 and 13 June Beijing, China State Forestry Administration, 
Ministry of Agriculture 
State Intellectual Property Office of China Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Workshop on the Benefit of Regional 
Cooperation and the 1991 Act of the 
UPOV Convention Officials and breeders from 
China, Mongolia, Republic 
of Korea, Singapore and Viet Nam 
20 to 22 September Serdang, 
Malaysia Ministry of Agriculture of 
Malaysia, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan National Training Course on the 
Protection of New Plant Varieties Officials, scientists and 
breeders from Malaysia 
27 September  Kishinev, 
Republic of 
Moldova Ministry of Agriculture and 
Food Industry of the Republic of 
Moldova National Workshop on Plant Variety 
Protection Officials from the 
Government of the 
Republic of Moldova 
28 September Bucharest, 
Romania Ministry of Agriculture, Forests 
and Rural Development, State Office for Inventions and Trademarks (OSIM) National Workshop on Plant Variety 
Protection Officials from the 
Government of Romania 
30 September Sofia, Bulgaria Ministry of Agriculture and 
Forestry of Bulgaria National Workshop on Plant Variety 
Protection Officials from the 
Government of Bulgaria 
   IP/C/W/424/Add.3
 Page 9 
Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
(b) Meetings for which UPOV provided speakers  
2003  
6 and 7 February Tunis, Tunisia WIPO, 
Government of Tunisia WIPO/UPOV Advisory Mission  Officials of the 
Government of Tunisia 
6 and 7 March Moscow, 
Russian 
Federation Ministry of Agriculture of the 
Russian Federation Conference/Seminar "Results of the State 
Commission of the Russian Federation for 
Selection Achievements Test and 
Protection" Members of Parliament, 
officials, breeders and 
scientists in the Russian 
Federation  
29 and 30 April Almaty, 
Kazakhstan WIPO, 
Committee for Intellectual Property Rights, Ministry of 
Justice of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan Sub-Regional Seminar on Biotechnology 
and Intellectual Property Officials from Central 
Asian countries 
6 June Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO Interregional Intermediate Seminar on 
Industrial Property  70 officials from 
developing countries 
9 to 20 June Wageningen, 
Netherlands  Centre for Genetic Resources of 
the Netherlands Training course on Plant Variety 
Protection  Officials from developing 
countries 
26 July to 2 August Cameroon, 
Senegal Organisation africaine de la 
propriété intellectuelle (OAPI),  
Groupe d'étude et de contrôle des variétés et des semences (GEVES)  Advisory Mission to OAPI for the 
establishment of a Regional System for Plant Variety  Officials of OAPI  
29 August to 12 September Tsukuba, 
Japan Japan International Cooperation 
Agency (JICA), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Training Course on Plant Variety 
Protection Officials from Bangladesh, 
Bolivia, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam  IP/C/W/424/Add.3 
Page 10 Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
3 and 4 November Belgrade, 
Serbia and 
Montenegro Eastern European Seed Network 
(ESSNET) Third Annual Meeting of the Eastern 
European Seed Network (ESSNET) Members of ESSNET 
18 and 19 November Bangkok, 
Thailand Asia and Pacific Seed 
Association (APSA) Annual Congress  500 delegates including 
Government officials and seed companies from the APSA members 
2004     
5 May Norwich, 
United Kingdom British Society of Plant Breeders Workshop on Value Capture in the Plant 
Breeding Industry Breeders and interested 
parties 
5 May Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO/World Association for 
Small and Medium-sized 
Enterprises (WASME) Lecture on plant breeder's right and Small 
and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) at 
the WIPO-WASME special program on Intellectual Property Rights Issues Entrepreneurs, economists, 
bankers, lawyers and 
accountants 
27 and 28 May Berlin, 
Germany International Seed Federation 
(ISF) International Seminar on the Protection of 
Intellectual Property and Access to Plant 
Genetic Resources Seed companies from all 
over the world 
4 June Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO  Interregional In termediate Seminar on 
Intellectual Property IPR experts from selected 
countries 
21 June Wageningen, 
Netherlands Centre for Genetic Resources 
(CGN) Course on Plant Variety Protection International participants 
5 July Geneva, 
Switzerland WTO Headquarters WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teachers of 
Intellectual Property Law Professors from developing 
countries 
12 to 14 July Asunción, 
Paraguay Latin-American Seed Federation 
(FELAS) XIX Pan-American Seed Seminar Participants from the seed 
industry, government institutions and scientists   IP/C/W/424/Add.3
 Page 11Date  Venue  Co-organizers, sponsors  Activities  Participants  
19 and 20 July Montevideo, 
Uruguay European Union/Uruguay Intellectual Property Rights in Plant 
Varieties Representatives from the 
seed industry, farmers' 
associations, government officials, scientists and intellectual property attorneys  
22 July Santiago, 
Chile Ministry of Agriculture, 
Chile/National Association of 
Seed Producers/Fresh Fruit Association, Chile First Seminar on Intellectual Property in 
Plants Participants from the seed 
industry, farmers' 
associations, government officials, scientists and intellectual property attorneys 
20 August Lausanne, 
Switzerland Fleuroselect  Fleuroselect 35
th Annual Convention Fleuroselect members 
1 September Gent, Belgium International Association of 
Horticultural Producers (AIPH) Annual Congress of AIPH AIPH members 
7 to 9 September Tokyo, Japan Japan International Cooperation 
Agency (JICA), 
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan Training course on plant variety 
protection Officials from Argentina, 
Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, 
Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam 
12 to 15 September Seoul, 
Republic of 
Korea Asia and Pacific Seed 
Association (APSA) Annual Congress of APSA 500 delegates, including 
government officials and 
companies from the APSA 
members 
29 September Geneva, 
Switzerland WIPO World Wide Academy, 
University of Turin, Italy Video conference as part of a Master of 
Laws in Intellectual Property Students from 20 different 
countries  
 
 
 
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