IP/C/R/TC/CAN/4  
 
22 September 2023  
(23-6333)  Page: 1/6 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects  of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English   
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS  
CANADA  
The following communication, dated 13 September 2023 , is being circulated at the request  of the 
delegation of Canada . 
 
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BRIEF OUTLINE OF TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN DURING THE 
REPORTING YEAR  
1.  Article 67 of the W orld Trade Organization (WTO)  Agreement on Trade -Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights  (TRIPS) requires that, "[i]n order to facilitate the implementation of this 
Agreement, developed country Members shall provide, on request and on mutually agreed terms 
and conditions, technical and financial cooperation in favour of developing and least -developed 
country Members ". Pursuant to Article 67 of t he TRIPS Agreement, the Council for TRIPS requests 
that developed country Members report on their technical and financial cooperation programmes in 
favour of developing and least -developed country (LDC) Members. The present document provides 
an update on C anada 's activities in respect of technical and financial cooperation in the area of 
intellectual property (IP) in favour of developing country and LDC Members, covering the 
2022-2023 period.  
2.  Canada continues to undertake a number of technical cooperation a ctivities in favour of 
developing and LDC Members 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 with the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation Intellectual Property Rights Experts ' Group 
(APEC -IPEG) where Canada participates in the IPEG 's semi -annual deliberations aimed at sharing 
information and best practices on IP rights. In addition, Canada 's technical cooperation ac tivities are 
administered by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Canada, the Royal 
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and other 
Government of Canada departments and agencies. O ther 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 Centre for Law, Technology and Society – are also involved in international 
technical cooperatio n efforts.  
3.  Details of technical cooperation activities are provided in the Annex.  
  
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- 2 - ANNEX1 
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 2021 - 31 December 202 3 
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
Brief description  These webinars, which were recorded in 2016 through CIPO collaboration with TFO Canada, are available in 
English on the TFO Canada website for embassies, consulates and businesses from developing and emerging 
countries. Topics covered: Basics of Canadian I P, 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 fur ther information  https://tfocanada.ca/learn -more/events/webinars/  
Contact point for further information   
 
 
1 In English only .  
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- 3 - Name of programme or project  Open African Innovation Research network (Open AIR)  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)   
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 throughout 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 Scholars  – Advanced Scholars programme, 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 adaptation and adoption of emerging technologies in Africa, 
including artificial intell igence; how maker communities facilitate inclusive innovation, especially by empowering 
women and girls and benefitting members of marginalized groups; and how to build confidence in Indigenous 
populations to effectively participate in collaborative knowle dge production with optimal and equitable benefits.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  http://www.openair.africa   
Contact point for further information   
 
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   
  
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- 4 - 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 specific training on IP law and policy issues.  
Beneficiary institution o r audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://carleton.ca/ctpl/   
Contact point for further information   
 
Name of programme or project  Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development – Implementing the WIPO Budapest 
Treaty in Viet  Nam 
Date and end date  1 January 2023  
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Viet Nam  
Brief description  This technical assistance activity is supporting the IP Office of Viet  Nam with its implementation of the WIPO 
Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition and Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent 
Procedure (Budapest Treaty), to fulfil Viet  Nam's comm itments under the Comprehensive and Progressive 
Agreement for Trans -Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This initiative includes the design and presentation of a seminar 
and a study guide for officials of the IP Office of Viet  Nam and related agencies within the Ministry of Science 
and Technology of Viet Nam. This will include a review of the obligations of the CPTPP with respect to the WIPO 
Budapest Treaty; mapping the legal and administrative measures necessary to establish a national depository 
authority under the Treaty; facilitating an exchange of experiences in the implementation of the Treaty with 
Canadian and other depository authorities; and reviewing the obligations of the CPTPP and Budapest Treaty.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://edm -mde.ca/portfolio/implementing -the-wipo-budapest -treaty -in-vietnam/  
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 5 - Name of programme or project  Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development – Registration and protection of 
intellectual property rights in CPTPP markets (Viet  Nam) 
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Viet Nam  
Brief description  This technical assistance activity is supporting the drafting of a guide to the registration of IP rights in key CPTPP 
markets, including the registration procedures and strategic IP rights protection issues relevant to each market.   
With respect to Viet  Nam, this project will include the design and delivery of a workshop to present this guide, a 
discussion on best practices on IP rights protection for Vietnamese small and medium -sized enterprises, and 
ongoing dialogue between Canadian and Vietnamese IP officials and stakeholders.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)   
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://edm -mde.ca/portfolio/registration -and-protection -of-intellectual -property -rights -in-cptpp -markets -1-
19/ 
Contact point for further information   
  
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- 6 - Name of programme or project  Supporting Africa 's science granting councils to develop policy frameworks and enabling structures 
for public -private sector partnerships  
Date and end date   
Beneficiary Member(s) or observer(s)  Burkina Faso; Burundi; Central African Republic; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Djibouti; Guinea; 
Guinea -Bissau; Lesotho; Liberia; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Mozambique; Niger; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra 
Leone; Tanzania; Togo; Uganda; Zambia  
Brief description  The Science Granting Councils  Initiative in sub -Saharan Africa (SGCI) is a multi -donor initiative funded by 
Canada 's International Development Research Centre, the United Kingdom 's Foreign, Commonwealth and 
Development Office (FCDO), South Africa 's National Research Foundation, the Sw edish International 
Development Cooperation Agency, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the German 
Research Foundation. The SGCI initiative aims to strengthen the capacities of science granting councils in 
Sub-Saharan Africa to support res earch that contributes to development.   The SGCI project will support councils 
to develop and operationalize frameworks and strategies (including intellectual property policy, research and 
collaborative partnerships) for private sector partnerships and co mmercialization of research results. Capacity 
strengthening will be achieved through several approaches, including customized in -country coaching, in -person 
training workshops, use of online platforms, and peer -to-peer learning among councils. The overall project 
outcome will be enhanced knowledge transfer, commercialization of research results and innovation.  
Beneficiary institution or audience   
Technical cooperation provider(s)  The Scinnovent Centre Limited  
Outputs or impact   
Website for further information  https://idrc -crdi.ca/en/project/supporting -africas -science -granting -councils -develop -policy -frameworks -and-
enabling  
Contact point for further information   
 
 
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