. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/154
5 October 1999
(99-4152)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  INFORMATION FROM
DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS
NEW ZEALAND
At the meetings of the Council for TRIPS in February and May 1996, it was agreed that
developed country Members would annually update information on their technical and financial
cooperation activities relevant to the implementa tion of the TRIPS Agreement.  At its meeting
of 7-8 July 1999, the Council agreed that in 1999 this  would be done in time for the Council's meeting
scheduled for 20-22 October 1999.
The present document reproduces the information which has been received from the
Permanent Mission of New Zealand by means of a communication, dated 20 September 1999.
Communications from other developed country Members will be circulated as addenda to this
document.
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1. The Council for TRIPS has requested an update from developed country Members of their
technical and financial programmes in the areas of intellectual property rights relevant to the
implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.
2. New Zealand considers requests for bilateral assistance in the area of intellectual property
rights from developing countries under its Official Development Assistance Programme (NZODA).
Such requests are addressed on a case by case basis in the context of bilateral or regional developmentassistance programmes which New Zealand currently operates.  These programmes are focused on the
Pacific Island States and the developing countries of East and South-East Asia.
3. During the year, exploratory work was undertaken between the Intellectual Property Office of
New Zealand and Senior Officials from Tonga to investigate options for an assistance projectcovering the administration of intellectual property rights in Tonga.
4. New Zealand also organised two trade policy courses at the Mekong Institute in Kohn Kaen,
Thailand in August 1998 and  September/October 1999.  Participants from the countries of the
Greater Mekong Subregion and New Zealand officials and academics participated in these two weekcomprehensive courses which covered the principles and practical aspects of multilateral and regional
trade policy issues, including intellectual property and the TRIPS Agreement.
5. New Zealand also considers requests for assistance and participation in technical cooperation
programmes overseen by multilateral and regional organisations.  In March 1999, New Zealand madea financial contribution to the UPOV-WIPO-WTO Joint Regional Workshop on the Protection ofIP/C/W/154
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Plant Varieties under Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS Agreement held in Bangkok with the cooperation
of the Government of Thailand.  The Workshop was designed to assist countries which have recently
introduced systems of plant variety protection, or are contemplating doing so, in the context of their
obligations under the TRIPS Agreement.  Participants were from a range of countries in the Asia and
Pacific Region.  New Zealand also provided an expert to speak at the Workshop.
6. As a member economy of Asia-Pacific Ec onomic Cooperation (APEC), New Zealand has
offered its assistance to other APEC member econo mies under the APEC Intellectual Property Rights
Experts group Collective Action Item (g);  Proposal for Technical Cooperation Facilitation.   This
proposal covers legislative, enforcement, institutional and administrative aspects of intellectual
property rights.
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