IP/C/R/TC/NZL/2  
 
24 October 2023  
(23-7133) Page: 1/4 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of  
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
  
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
NEW ZEALAND  
The following communication, dated 19 October 2023 , is b eing circulated at the request of the 
delegation  of New Zealand . 
 
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1  THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NEW ZEALAND  
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 t he intellectual property systems of developing countries.  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. 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 ca n offer its assistance more readily again.  
2  THE PLANT VARIETY RIGHTS OFFICE (PVRO)  
2.  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 examination activity. On an as request ed 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 
experience and expertise between UPOV me mber States.  
3.  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 currentl y 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 COOPERATION  
4.  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 Program (AISP), which continues to support AANZFTA Parties to operationalise and 
implement the Agreement. The successor programme became operational in 2022. Like the AECSP, 
the AISP is jointly funded by Australia and New Zealand.  
5.  Projects funded by the AISP are available to all ten ASEAN member States. The aim of AANZFTA 
Economic Coope ration is to facilitate AANZFTA implementation; progress built -in agenda IP/C/R/TC/NZL/2  
 
- 2 - 
 
  negotiations; achieve deeper economic integration among the parties; and increase business 
utilisation of AANZFTA.  
6.  Under the 2023 Economic Cooperation Work Plan for the AISP, the pro gramme will deliver a 
number of projects focused on intellectual property in the next year, including:  
a. Strengthening intellectual property knowledge for women 's enterprises, supporting 
women -led businesses to develop their trademark (design and registratio n), and 
supporting women 's enterprises to participate in the IP Week 2024.   
b. Knowledge -sharing activities and research on the competencies and skillsets of ASEAN, 
Australia, and New  Zealand 's intellectual property service professionals.  
c. Past AECSP projects that have focussed on intellectual property include:  
d. Assistance for ASEAN member States to accede to the Madrid Protocol and implement it 
post-accession, facilitating trademark registration regionally and globally.  
e. Projects to strengthen ASEAN member Stat es' 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 Traini ng (IPET) Model, and the RPET Mentoring 
Programme.  
f. Development of a Regional Intellectual Property Public Education and Awareness Strategy  
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.  
 
   
  IP/C/R/TC/NZL/2  
 
- 3 - ANNEX1 
Name of programme or project  Introduction to elements of DUS testing and UPOV Technical Working Parties  
Date and end date  18 April 2023 - 19 April 2023  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The webinars provided national experience on certain elements of variety testing for PVR and information on 
UPOV technical working parties.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  Chairs of the UPOV Technical groups and th e UPOV Secretariat  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  AANZFTA Trade Mark Quality Management Workshop in November 2022  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Brunei Darussalam; Cambodia; Indonesia; Lao People 's Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Philippines; 
Singapore; Thailand; Viet Nam  
Brief description  The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) attended the ASEAN -Australia -New Zealand Free Trade 
Area (AANZFTA) Trade Mark Quality Management Workshop in November 2022.  
 
This is part of the AIS Programme, the successor to AECSP. This was a follow up to the workshop in June 2021.  
 
Participants learned from the sha ring of expertise in quality management systems.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  IPONZ  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
 
1 In English only.    
  IP/C/R/TC/NZL/2  
 
- 4 - Name of programme or project  Technical assistance to Uruguay IP office  
Date and end date  30 May 2023 - 30 May 2023  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Uruguay  
Brief description  The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) meet with Uruguay 30 May 2022, and discussed 
potential for technical assistance, and topics of interest at a high level (PPH, GIs, TK, non -traditional TMs, 
Designs).  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  IPONZ  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information   
 
 
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