IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
13 October 2020  
(20-7054)  Page: 1/8 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
CANADA  
The following communication, dated 11 October 2020 , is b eing circulated at the request  of 
the delegation of  Canada . 
 
_______________  
 
 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.  Pursuant to Article 67 of the Agreement on Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights 
(TRIPS), the Council for TRIPS requests that developed country Members report on their technical 
and financial cooperation programmes in favour of developing and least  developed countr ies (LDCs). 
The present document provides an update on Canada 's activities in respect of technical and financial 
cooperation in the area of intellectual property (IP) in favour of developing countr ies and LDCs, 
covering the 2019 -2020 period.  
2.  Canada has undertaken a number of technical cooperation activities at the multilateral, 
plurilateral, and bilateral levels. At the multilateral level, Canada works in close collaboration with 
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as well as t he Asia -Pacific Economic 
Cooperation Intellectual Property Rights Expert 's Group (APEC -IPEG) where Canada participates in 
the group 's biannual deliberations aimed at sharing information and best practices on IP rights. In 
addition, Canada 's technical coope ration activities are administered by the Canadian Intellectual 
Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Canada, the International Development Research Centre 
(IDRC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Other Canadian institutions that receive 
funding from the Government of Canada, such as the Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) and 
the University of Ottawa, are also involved in international technical cooperation efforts.   
 
_______________  
 
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 2 - ANNEX1 
Name of programme or project  WIPO Program me of International Cooperation in the Search and Examination of Inventions (ICSEI)  
Date and end date  1 September 2019 - 31 August 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Kenya; Trinidad and Tobago  
Brief description  CIPO provides search and examination reports of patent applications, upon request from other WIPO Members.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impa ct  
Website for further information  https://www.wipo.int/patents/en/topics/worksharing/examination -capacity.html  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
 
Name of programme or project  African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) Administrative Council and Council of 
Ministers Meeting  
Date and end date  18 November 2019 - 24 November 2019  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Botswana; Eswatini; The Gambia; Ghana; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; Sao 
Tomé and Principe; Sierra Leone; Somalia; Sudan; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe  
Brief description  CIPO was invited to participate in the ARIPO Forty -Third Session of the Administrative Council  and Council of 
Ministers meeting in Monrovia, Liberia, to discuss how the Government of Canada works to advance IP and 
innovation. Moreover, CIPO facilitated a workshop on developing an effective national IP Strategy, as well as a 
workshop for the Council  of Ministers.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.aripo.org/events/forty -third-session -of-the-administrative -council -and-council -of-ministers/  
Contact point for f urther information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
 
 
1 In English only .  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 3 - Name of programme or project  Pre-recorded webinars on IP and patents on the website of Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada  
Date and end date 1 January 2020 - 31 December 2020  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; 
Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Kingdom of Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; 
Plurinational State of Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina 
Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; 
Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Costa Rica; Côte d 'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Cz ech Republic; 
Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El 
Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Estonia; Eswatini; Ethiopia; European Union; Fiji; Finland; France; Gabon; The 
Gambia; Greece; Grenada; Guatema la; Holy See; Iran; Iraq; Leban on; Libya; Macao, China; Madagascar; Malawi; 
Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Republic of Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; 
Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; N icaragua; Niger; Nigeria; North 
Macedonia; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; 
Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 
Samoa; Sao Tomé and Principe; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; 
Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; 
Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab R epublic; The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen 
and Matsu; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Thailand; Timor -Leste; Togo; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; 
Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America; Ur uguay; Uzbekistan; 
Vanuatu; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe  
Brief description  These webinars, which were recorded in 2016 through CIPO collaboration with TFO Canada, are available in English 
on the TFO Canada website fo r embassies, consulates and businesses from developing and emerging countries.  
 
Topics covered: Basics of Canadian IP, Registering patents in Canada, Registering trademarks in Canada, IP 
Foundations for women entrepreneurs, Overview of IP – trademarks for  SMEs.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.tfocanada.ca/webinars.php  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 4 - Name of programme or project  Open African Innovation Research network (Open AIR)  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Algeria; Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; 
Comoros; Congo; Côte d 'Ivoire; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eswatini; 
Ethiopia; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea -Bissau; Kenya; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Madagascar; 
Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mauritius; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia ; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Sao Tomé and 
Principe; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; South Sudan; Sudan; Tanzania; Togo; Tunisia; 
Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe  
Brief description  Open AIR is a unique collaborative network of researchers spread across Africa and Canada. Their research aims 
to ease tensions between IP and access to knowledge, and to understand how knowledge -based businesses can 
take advantage of global opportunities, while sharing the benefits of innovation thro ughout society. Open AIR is 
funded by Canada 's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and has a Partnership Grant from the Social 
Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) until March 2022. They were also selected for the Queen 
Elizabeth S cholars – Advanced Scholars program, funded through Universities Canada.  
A new phase which started in 2018, implemented in collaboration with the University of Cape Town, South Africa, 
will research how Africa 's high -tech hubs are facilitating the adaptat ion and adoption of emerging technologies in 
Africa, including artificial intelligence; how maker communities facilitate inclusive innovation, especially by 
empowering women and girls and benefiting Members of marginalized groups; and how to build confiden ce in 
Indigenous populations to effectively participate in collaborative knowledge production with optimal and equitable 
benefits.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further informatio n http://www.openair.africa  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 5 - Name of programme or project  Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM)  
Date and end date  1 January 2018 - 31 December 2025  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Andorra; Angola; Antigua and Barbuda; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Austria; 
Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Kingdom of Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belarus; Belgium; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; 
Plurinational State of Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Brazil; Brunei Darussalam; Bulgaria; Burkina 
Faso; Burundi; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; China; 
Colombia; Comoros; Congo; Costa Rica; Côte d 'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Curaçao; Cyprus; Cz ech Republic; 
Democratic Republic of the Congo; Denmark; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; El 
Salvador; Equatorial Guinea; Estonia; Eswatini; Ethiopia; European Union; Fiji; Finland; France; Gabon; The 
Gambia; Georgia; Germany; Ghana;  Greece; Grenada; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea -Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Holy 
See; Honduras; Hong Kong, China; Hungary; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; 
Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Republic of Korea; the State of Kuwa it; Kyrgyz Republic; Lao People 's 
Democratic Republic; Latvia; Leban on; Lesotho; Liberia; Libya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macao, 
China; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Malta; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mexico; Republic of Moldova; 
Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; 
Niger; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peru; 
Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian  Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Sao Tomé and Principe; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; 
Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; Somalia; Sou th Africa; South 
Sudan; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Suriname; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; The Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Thailand; Timor -Leste; Togo; Tonga; 
Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia ; Turkey; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of 
America; Uruguay; Uzbekistan; Vanuatu; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe  
Brief description  The EDM is designed to reduce poverty by deployi ng, on demand, Canadian and international technical experts to 
assist developing countries negotiate, implement, adapt to and benefit from bilateral or regional Free Trade 
Agreements (FTAs) and Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (FIPAs)  with Canada. Experts 
can be deployed while FTA/FIPA exploratory talks are underway, during formal negotiations, or following the 
conclusion and ratification of an agreement. There is a significant roster of experts relating to IP, including Trade 
Facilita tion Office Canada.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://edm -mde.ca/  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 6 - Name of programme or project  Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CPTL) – guidance, support, knowledge and tools  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The Canada -based CTPL  is a Canadian institution that provides developing and transition economies with guidance 
and support to sustain them in the short -term and with the knowledge and tools to ensure their full participation 
in international trade agreements, including specif ic training on IP law and policy issues.   
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://carleton.ca/ctpl/  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
 
Name of programme or project  Strengthening cyber policy research centres in the Global South – Centre for Intellectual Property and 
Information Technology Law  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Kenya  
Brief description  This project seeks to strengthen research and policy capacity on critical digital policy issues to ensure that 
policymakers in the Global South consistently use objective, high quality research to inform digital policy 
development. Centres will be supported to develop a robust policy rese arch agenda that addresses all facets of 
cyber and digital policy, including human rights, security, and innovation, and the interplay of these issues in the 
Global South. It will help build institutional capacity and sustainability to produce credible, le gitimate, and locally -
relevant research that convenes different perspectives on critical policy issues, and it will strengthen the capacity 
of centres to inform and influence policy development. Together, this will enable policy leaders to respond to the 
rapidly changing digital environment and allow communities to benefit from the opportunities that digital innovation 
offers, including improved health, governance, education, and economic prospects, while shielding them as much 
as possible from the harms.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/strengthening -cyber -policy -research -centres -global -south -centre -intellectual -
property -and 
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 7 - Name of programme or project  Initiative for Digital Rights in Latin America (INDELA)  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Panama  
Brief description  The Initiative for Digital Rights in Latin America (INDELA) is a three -year collaborative re -granting/funding 
arrangement intended to strengthen and support the digital rights ecosystem in Lati n America. It ensures a 
consistent pool of funding to support institutional capacity building needs and to tackle current challenges and 
opportunities of digital rights in Latin America.  
 
Based on identifying existing shared priorities among different funders and organizations in the digital rights field, 
the Fund will prioritize projects that promise to deliver specific results on digital rights issues, including access to 
knowledge and copyright. Funding can support policy work, advocacy, ca mpaigning, public awareness, action -
oriented research, and protecting and promoting digital rights.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/initiative -digital -rights -latin-america -indela  
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
 
Name of programme or project  Supplying free copies of Canadian patent documents for developing countries  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  Upon request from WIPO  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
  
  IP/C/R/TC/CAN/1  
 
- 8 - Name of programme or project  International IP Crime Training Seminars hosted by Interpol  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  The RCMP has contributed to the seminars each year. The seminars have been given to participants from developed 
and least developed countries, facilitating the exchange of best practices and techniques, and networking.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information   
Contact point for further information  dean.foster@international.gc.ca  
 
 
__________