IP/C/W/647/Add.4  
 
25 October  2018 
(18-6720) Page: 1/8 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of  
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N ACTIVITIES:  
INFORMATION FROM MEM BERS  
CANADA  
Addendum  
The following communication, dated 18 October  2018, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Canada.  
 
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1  BRIEF OUTLINE IN TEC HNICAL COOPERATION O VER THE REPORTING YEAR  
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 fav our of developing and least developed country Members. 
The present document provides an update on Canada's activities concerning technical and financial 
cooperation in the area of intellectual property in favour of developing and least developed country 
Members, covering the 201 7-2018 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 Prop erty Organization  (WIPO)  and the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation 
Intellectual Property Rights Expert's Group (APEC -IPEG), where Canada participates in the 
organization's biannual deliberations aimed at sharing information and best practices on intellectu al 
property  rights.  
3.  The following summary provides an update of activities, which are mainly administered by 
the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Global Affairs Canada, the International 
Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Royal Canadia n 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.  
4.  Details of technical cooperation activities are provided in the Annex.  
 
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  IP/C/W/647/Add.4  
 
- 2 - ANNEX1 
TECHNICAL COOPERATIO N ACTIVITIES FROM 1 SE PTEMBER 201 7 TO 31 AUGUST 201 8 
Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
WIPO Program of 
International 
Cooperation in the 
Search and 
Examination of 
Inventions (ICSEI)  Between 1 
September 2017 
and 31 August 
2018  3 requests from 
Madagascar and 
8 requests from 
Djibouti  CIPO provides search and examination reports of patent 
applications, upon request from other WIPO Member States.  -- 
CIPO-WIPO Executive 
Workshop on 
Management 
Techniques in the 
Delivery of IP Services 
for senior officials from 
developing countries  Between 4 June and 
8 June 2018  Participants were 
from Tunisia, 
Algeria, 
Cameroon, Benin, 
Guinea, Guinea -
Bissau, Mali, 
Madagascar 
Togo, Haiti, 
Belarus, and the 
Organisation 
Africaine de la 
Propriété 
Intellectuelle  CIPO hosts and delivers an annual CIPO -WIPO Executive 
Workshop on management techniques in the delivery of IP 
services, for senior officials from developing countries.  
 
The objectives of the one -week workshop are to:  
• Enhance knowledge and skil ls in the area of management 
techniques in the delivery of IP services;  
• Improve the capacity of IP officials;  
• Provide participants with first -hand experience of the 
nature and scope of Canada's IP expertise, products and 
services;  
• Provide a forum to exchan ge ideas and experiences with 
officials from other IP offices.  
 -- 
Pre-recorded webinars 
on IP and patents on 
the website of TFO 
Canada  
 Available 
throughout 2017  Downloaded 
approx. 140 
times.  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  IP, Registering patents in 
Canada, Registering trademarks in Canada, IP Foundations for 
women entrepreneurs, Overview of IP – trademarks for SMEs.  
 -- 
                                                
1 In English only.   
  IP/C/W/647/Add.4  
 
- 3 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
National Legislative 
Development project  Between 20 
October 2009 and 
28 September 2018  
 Viet Nam The objective of the project is to strengthen the legal foundations 
for economic growth through an integrated program of reforms 
to the Vietnamese legislative development process. It addresses 
several priorities of the Government of Vietnam's legal reform 
agenda, including: the development of laws that are clear and 
more easily implemented; improved review of legislation to 
ensure that it is consistent internally and with other legislation; 
and more effective public participation in the lawmaking process. 
The p roject addresses these concerns through an integrated work 
program addressing all points of the legislative development 
process, with attention to legislation that supports economic 
growth and development.  -- 
Pervasive 
Technologies: Access 
to Knowledge (A 2K) in 
the Marketplace  
 Between 18 
February 2011 and 
18 October 2017  
 
 India This IDRC -funded project explores the interplay between IP and 
the production and deployment of pervasive networked 
technologies and seeks to provide a supply -side picture of how  
IP plays a role in the proliferation of access to technologies.  The 
resulting body of research sheds light on how to better promote 
access to knowledge in Asia, influencing IP laws and practices.  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/pervasive -
technologies -access -knowledge -a2kin -marketplace   
Copyright and 
Innovation in the 
Developing World  
 Between 27 
February 2015 and 
27 November 2017  India, Colombia, 
Brazil, and Chile  This IDRC -funded project provides evidence to support 
governments grappling with IP questions as they are key for 
facilitating economic growth and innovation in the digital 
economy. By exploring the difference copyright law makes to 
economic, social, and cultural outcomes, this project will inform 
policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship in 
developing countries. This project is building a transnational 
index of changes in copyrights law in 15 countries, studying the 
impact of copyr ight laws on the behavior of firms, and is 
developing sector -specific case studies. Finally, the project is 
looking into new forms of payment and reward for developing 
country -creators who wish to distribute their content.  https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/copyright -and-
innovation -developing -world -0   
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- 4 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
Open African 
Innovation Research 
Network (Open AIR)  -- Africa and Ottawa  Open AIR is a uni que 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 th e benefits of 
innovation throughout society. Open AIR is funded by Canada’s 
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and is in 
year three of a seven -year Partnership Grant from the Social 
Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). They 
recen tly were also selected for the Queen Elizabeth Scholars – 
Advanced Scholars program.  
The network has published over 15 working papers and 
presented at numerous conferences concerning research on IP 
in Africa, including traditional cultural expressions and  
traditional knowledge. The network is similarly engaging as 
advisors to the Africa Group Negotiating Bloc on negotiations 
toward a new WIPO IGC treaty.   http://www.openair.org.za   
Expert Deployment 
Mechanism for  Trade 
and Development 
(EDM)  Between 2018 and 
2025 Global  EDM is designed to reduce poverty by deploying, 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 ratific ation of an agreement. There is a significant 
roster of experts relating to IP, including Trade Facilitation Office 
Canada (TF O Canada).  
 -- 
Centre for Trade Policy 
and Law (CPTL) – 
guidance, support, 
knowledge and tools  -- -- Canada -based CTPL is a Cana dian 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 trainin g on IP law and policy 
issues.   --  
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- 5 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
African Institute for 
Mathematical Sciences 
(AIMS)  Between 1 January 
2011 and 31 March 
2022 AIMS centres are 
located in 
Tanzania, South 
Africa, Senegal, 
Ghana, 
Cameroon and 
Rwanda   
 Through IDRC, Canada contributed $20  million to establish the 
proof-of-concept for the African Institute for Mathematical 
Sciences (AIMS) – a network of Pan -African Centres of 
Excellence, which provides rigorous mathematics training to 
post-graduate African students. Mathematical sciences ar e the 
backbone of a modern economy. Solutions to complex challenges 
in health, agriculture, and finance, for example, all require 
advanced mathematical modelling skills. The Initiative supported 
Africa’s top students to enrol in a rigorous 10 -month graduat e-
level course that lead to a master's degree in mathematical 
science.  
 
In 2016, Canada announced an additional CA$22.6 million over 
five years to train African mathematical scientists to develop 
climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions through 
AIMS, with a strong gender equality component. This new 
Mathematical Sciences for Climate Change Resilience (MS4CR) 
project is now underway and will end in March 2022. The climate 
change stream is being introduced for the current academic year 
in Rwanda, wi th the first cohort expected to graduate in June 
2019. The specialized climate change curriculum will then be 
migrated to the other centers of excellence within the AIMS Pan -
African network.  
 
Following a call for proposals from the Partnerships and 
Develop ment Innovation Branch in Skills for Employment within 
the Francophonie, MINE approved in December 2015 $6.4 million 
over five years (2016 -2021) to AIMS -Canada for the 
implementation of project "Skills for Employment - Panafrican 
Institute of Mathematical Sciences". The project strengthens the 
capacity of AIMS Senegal to deliver skills -for-employment 
through demand -driven work placements in the science and 
technology sectors with a focus on integrating women scientists 
and deepening sustainable linkages wit h the private sector in 
Senegal and other Francophonie countries.  
 https://www.idrc.ca/en/project/mathematical -
sciences -climate -change -resilience -ms4cr    
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- 6 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
ARIA VIII & CFTA  Fall 2017  Egypt, Kenya and 
South Africa  The UN Economic Commission for Africa invited the project 
researchers to participate actively in policy discussions on 
regional integration and trade, and specifically to write the 
framework think p iece for IP, science, tech, and innovation policy 
in African international trade agreements, which they presented 
in Addis in Fall 2017.  
 http://www.openair.org.za   
Scoping Study for 
Cyber Policy Capacity 
Building  in Developing 
Countries    Global  This IDRC -funded scoping project developed the conceptual 
background needed to achieve well -crafted cyber policies. The 
goal is to foster open, secure, and reliable information systems 
and communications infrastructure to support international 
trade and co mmerce. It aimed to explore the balance between 
sound, intelligent security while protecting free expression and 
innovation. The project team strove for multifaceted discussions 
of the challenges that exist where security, human 
development, and civil libe rties intersect. The funds were used 
to commission two scoping and background papers, and also to 
hold a workshop.  
The project has led to a fuller understanding of the cyber policy 
issues in the developing world. Pursuant to this project, the 
next phase i s currently underway: IDRC has released a global 
call for institutions operating in the cyber policy space to 
receive further funding and capacity building in a pilot phase. 
The final selection of institutions has been completed, and 
funding has begun.  https://www.idrc.ca/en/content/call -expressions -
interest -strengthening -cyber -policy -centres -global -
south   
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- 7 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
Canadian International 
Food Security 
Research Fund 
(CIFSRF)  Launched in 2009  
 Sub-Saharan 
Africa, South 
Africa, Kenya, 
Trinidad and 
Tobago, 
Tanzania, Sri 
Lanka and India  Partnerships between Canadian and developing country 
researchers is one way that IDRC helps support technology 
transfer. CIFSRF, funded by IDRC and Global Affairs Canada, 
supports research in agricultural innovation and fosters 
collabor ation between developing -country researchers and 
Canadian experts.  Now in its second phase, CIFSRF is building 
on earlier results to reduce post -harvest losses and 
commercialize livestock vaccines:  
• Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), a highly 
conta gious respiratory disease of cattle, has serious 
economic and trade consequences for sub -Saharan Africa. 
Researchers from Kenya and Canada are now testing a 
highly efficient vaccine.  
• Researchers from South Africa and Canada have developed 
a novel vaccine t hat protects livestock from multiple deadly 
diseases in a single dose. Collaboration with regulatory 
bodies, agricultural ministries, professional associations, 
and vaccine producers has begun, and is expected to bring 
this much -needed innovation to farmin g families in South 
Africa, Kenya, and beyond.  
• Researchers from Canada have developed a natural 
compound known as hexanal to delay the ripening of 
mangoes and decrease spoilage. Spraying mangoes with 
hexanal earned farmers up to 15% more by allowing them 
to get more, better quality fruit to market later in the 
season. The researchers are partnering with institutions in 
India and Sri Lanka to further develop and commercialize 
technologies to extend the shelf -life of fruit. Several 
products, including sprays and specialized packaging, have 
been developed and are being tested.  
 
This program is also scaling technologies:  
• Researchers from Canada and Ghana are scaling up ICT -
based agricultural information services and platforms that 
will reach 300,000 small -scale farmers with information on 
how to adopt a small number of tested effective agricultural 
technologies and methods , and better price information to 
improve market access for key local commodities and 
products.  
• Canadian and Indian researchers have developed and 
tested a cost -effective, double -fortified salt formulation 
that delivers both iodine and iron. The technolog y has been 
transferred from Canada to India, where it is being scaled 
using existing manufacturing and distribution capabilities, 
ensuring sustainability and adherence to quality standards 
beyond the project period. This will improve the diets of up 
to 15 million rural poor in the state of Uttar Pradesh. By the 
end of 28 months, the new salt product will be supplied in 
10 districts in Uttar Pradesh through fair price shops under 
the public distribution system.  https://www.idrc.ca/en/initiative/canadian -
international -food-security -research -fund   
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- 8 - Activity  Date Location  Brief Description  Link to further details  
Collaborative 
Adaptation Research 
Initiative in Africa and 
Asia (CARIAA)  Between 2014 and 
2019 Africa and Asia  This initiative, funded jointly by IDRC and the UK’s Department 
for International Development,  supports four research consortia 
with a range of regional, scientific and socio -economic 
development expertise to explore the physical, social, economic 
and politica l dimensions of vulnerability and adaptation options 
in the climate change hotspots of deltas, semi -arid lands, and 
glacier -dependent basins.  
• In addition to exploring proactive, longer -term 
approaches to climate change adaptation while 
supporting the manag ement of current risks in 14 
countries across Africa and Central and South Asia, 
researchers working with Adaptation at Scale in Semi -
Arid Regions (ASSR), have also held training programs 
on regional climate modelling, regional integrated 
assessment tools.  
• As part of their large -scale project in the Deltas, 
Vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration and 
Adaptation (DECCMA) program, researchers are 
exploring the potential for stakeholder engagement at 
the technical assistance level in Bangladesh and Ghana.  
 
Researchers in the Himalayan Adaptation, Water and Resilience 
(HI-Aware) consortium are developing short - and long -term 
climate adaptation strategies, resulting in up -scaling and out -
scaling of institutional and local adaptation innovations. Pilot 
project s have been developed for climate resilient agriculture, 
flood resilient housing, floods, and addressing heat stress. 
Findings informed new support for Nepal from Global 
Environment Facility.  http://cariaa.net   
Supplying  free copies 
of Canadian patent 
documents for 
developing countries  Upon request from 
WIPO  -- --  -- 
International IP Crime 
Training Seminars 
hosted by Interpol  -- -- 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.  -- 
Permanent Forum on 
International 
Pharmaceutical Crime 
(PFIPC)   -- -- The RCMP and Health Canada are also  members of t he forum. It 
gathers 17 developed countries and members from the private 
sector,  allowing for the exchange of best practices, information 
on trends and enforcement initiatives and networking.   -- 
 
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