WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
IP/C/W/577 
12 September 2012 
 (12-4871) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects of 
Intellectual Property Rights  
 
 
 
WTO SECRETARIAT TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE TRIPS AREA 
 
Note by the Secretariat 
 
 
    
 
 
This document reports on the WTO Secretaria t's technical cooperation activities concerning 
TRIPS undertaken between 1 October 2011 and 30 September 2012.  It covers activities that 
specifically relate to intellectual property (IP) and the TRIPS Agreement, as well as some activities of 
a broader character which have a significant IP com ponent.  It follows the previous report to the 
Council for TRIPS contained in documen t IP/C/W/557, dated 4 October 2011. 
Main Orientations 
1. The Secretariat's technical cooperation activities in relation to TRIPS continue to focus on 
assisting Members to understand the rights and oblig ations, including the available options, which 
flow from the TRIPS Agreement and relevant deci sions of WTO bodies.  In particular, Members 
receive assistance regarding the flexibilities in th e TRIPS Agreement, including the Paragraph 6 
Mechanism on TRIPS and Public Health, and the interplay between TRIPS standards and policy 
choices, as well as notifications and reviews of nati onal legislation.  Technical cooperation activities 
also aim to support Members to participate fully and substantively in the WTO's ongoing work on 
TRIPS matters, in particular building their capacity to assess what is at stake for them in issues under 
negotiation, examination or review.  The Secret ariat has paid increasing attention to building 
self-sustaining capacity in developing countries, including through the training of trainers and 
strengthening regionally-based expertise. 
2. Technical cooperation is driven essentially by demand from Members.  The diversity of needs 
and interests identified by Members has led to incr eased tailoring and focusing of technical assistance 
activities on specific areas of interest or sectoral  policy themes, complementing the activities that 
provide general overviews of th e TRIPS Agreement.  The Secretariat also assisted countries to 
prepare for accession to the WTO and trained official s of acceding countries.  The technical assistance 
programme further prioritized assistance to least de veloped countries, especially in the light of the 
needs assessment and coordination of technical assist ance foreseen in paragraph 2 of the Decision on 
the Extension of the Transition Period under Ar ticle 66.1 for Least Developed Country Members.1  
                                                      
1 The Decision of the Council for TRIPS of 29 November 2005 (IP/C/40) extends the transition period 
for least developed country Members until 1 July 2013 and calls for them to provide information to the Council for TRIPS, preferably by January 2008, on their individual priority needs for technical and financial cooperation 
in order to assist them taking steps nece ssary to implement the TRIPS Agreement. This document has been prepa red under the Secretariat's own 
responsibility and without prejudice to the positions of Members 
and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. IP/C/W/577 
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  The emphasis on the individual priority needs of LDCs was carried through in programme delivery 
and through close interagency coordination.  In ge neral, the past focus on ensuring complementarity 
and cooperation with other inter governmental organizations has been further enhanced, with a 
particular focus on coordinating technical assistance in the field of IP and public health with WIPO 
and the WHO.  Technical cooperation on TRIPS has been delivered through information and advice 
given to Members in Geneva, and through stu dy programmes, training courses, seminars and 
workshops for developing count ries in Geneva and elsewhere. 
Information and Advice to Members 
3. Secretariat officials have provided information in response to questions put to them by 
representatives of Member governments on a wide range  of IP matters, e.g. notification and review 
procedures, the meaning of particular provisions of  the TRIPS Agreement, the options available under 
these provisions and matters under discussion or negotia tion in the Council for TRIPS.  Both Geneva 
delegations and visiting officials raise such matters , and similar requests result from direct contacts 
from officials in capitals on issues such as domestic draft legislation or the ongoing work and negotiations in the Council for TRIPS.  Official s from acceding countries have also asked for and 
received advice and information on a host of IP issues. 
Handbook on the WTO TRIPS Agreement 
4. Based on the general educational materials used in the e-training programme and other 
technical cooperation materials, the Secretariat produced a Handbook on the TRIPS Agreement, part 
of a series of Secretariat publications on WTO agreements. A special print run was organized to supply WTO technical cooperation activ ities with copies of this volume. 
Seminars, Workshops, Training Courses and other Technical Cooperation Activities 
 In Geneva 
5. TRIPS issues have continued to figure prominen tly in the context of broader training courses, 
seminars and workshops held in Geneva.  For ex ample, the regular WTO Trade Policy Courses, the 
Introduction Courses for LDCs, the "Geneva Weeks" fo r Non-Residents, and other events held in 
Geneva included presentations on the TRIPS Agreem ent and the ongoing work and negotiations in the 
TRIPS area.  The Advanced Trade Policy Courses, held in Geneva for Spanish-speaking countries 
(from 12 September to 1 December 2011) and French-speaking countries (from 16 April to 5 July 2012) also included a visit to WIPO, lear ning about that Organization, its conventions and 
activities.  In addition, the Secretariat orga nized a number of special study programmes for 
government officials. 
6. The ninth joint WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property from 
Developing Countries, convened from 11 to 22 June  2012, was a major element of Geneva-based 
technical assistance in this period.  For the WTO, it formed part of the wider approach in the WTO 
Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan  2012-2013 towards cooperation with the academic 
community in developing countries aimed at local capacity building on WTO matters.  The main 
objective of the Colloquium was to update university teachers of IP in developing countries and 
countries with economies in transition on the activ ities and instruments of the WIPO and the WTO 
with focus on important policy issues under negotiatio n or discussion in the two Organizations, and to 
set these issues in their wider legal and policy c ontext.  This would enhance the capacity of 
universities in these countries to develop national expe rtise in IP and the capability to provide policy 
advice to governments on the implications of curre nt negotiations or discussions in the WIPO and 
WTO.  The Colloquium would also strengthen and give structure to the exchange of practical 
information on relevant national or regional experiences between university teachers and the two  IP/C/W/577 
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  Secretariats.  In addition to speakers from the two Secretariats and from the WHO and the UPOV, 
several Geneva-based delegates as well as repre sentatives from industry and NGOs shared views on 
certain topical issues under discussion or negotiation.  All the participating university teachers also 
made presentations on selected topics.2  Papers presented at the Colloquium of 2011 have been 
compiled and published by WIPO and the WTO a nd are available on-line as an edited volume, 
intended to provide a resource for researchers and analysts covering contemporary IP and TRIPS 
issues from the perspective of a wide range of deve loping countries.  This is the second volume in a 
formal publication series.3 
7. The forth joint WIPO-WTO Advanced C ourse on Intellectual Property was held on 
12-23 March 2012 as an important component of the Gene va-based activities.  This initiative drew on 
the experience of earlier successful Colloquium for t eachers of IP, and applied a similar programme 
structure and pedagogic strategy, but was tailore d and focused on government officials and public 
sector policymakers instead of university teachers and researchers.  The course also built on the 
notion of gradual and progressive learning:  in or der to qualify for the course, the candidates had to 
complete the WTO eTraining TRIPS Course or possess commensurate knowledge or professional 
experience.  Most of the selected participants ha d completed either the WTO eTraining Course or the 
WIPO Distance Learning Course, and the course was ab le to work from a truly advanced baseline and 
thus explore cutting edge issues through interactive debate and practical case studies, so as to strengthen the capacity of government officials and policymakers to critically review policy options 
and their implications, and to learn from the wi de range of practical experiences covered in the 
programme.
 4 
8. The seventh workshop on the TRIPS Agreemen t and Public Health, which was held in 
Geneva on 10-13 October 2011, repr esents another key technical assistance activity carried out by the 
WTO Secretariat.5 For the first time, it was organized in close collaboration with WHO and WIPO, 
reflecting the intense cooperation between the thr ee Organizations on issues related to the interplay 
between IP and public health.  The workshop provid ed a comprehensive overview of the key issues 
affecting the innovation of new medicines and access to them and familiarized participants with the 
key concepts under the TRIPS Agreement and othe r IP instruments.  The programme included 
extensive material on the public health related el ements and flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement so 
as to allow WTO Members to adapt their IP regimes to  meet public health objectives.  In particular, it 
covered issues related to the im plementation and application of th e Paragraph 6 System established 
under the August 2003 Decision and the Amendment of December 2005.  The workshop drew on 
experts with a wide range of experience and backgr ound to provide sessions on a range of key issues 
in the interplay between public health and IP.  Among others, those sessions addressed the process of 
regulatory approval and quality control of medicin es, the role of competition rules, pricing and 
procurement policies and strategies in order to secure  access to essential medicines, the use of patent 
landscaping to guide policymakers, as well as the impact of IP provisions in RTAs.  A wide-ranging 
panel discussion on the relationship between TRIPS,  innovation and public health provided an 
opportunity for representatives of the research and generic industries, access to medicines 
programmes, not-for-profit product development initiatives, and innovation and production capacity 
building programmes for developing countries to share their views.  Substantive contributions were made by the WHO and WIPO, and presentations by sp eakers with different backgrounds (the Geneva-
based missions of the European Union and Ch ina, government representatives from Switzerland, 
Ecuador, and South Africa, as well as NGOs and aca demia) provided a comprehensive overview of 
the key players' views and the most important aspects related to public health. 
                                                      
 2 For the programme, go to: http://gtad.wto.org/publish/1853/20120830153259_wto12-3_pg_e.pdf. 
3 http://www.wto.org/english /tratop_e/trips_e/wipo_wto_colloquium2011_e.pdf.  
 4 For the programme, go to: http://gtad.wto.org/publish/1692/20120801121816_tc12-4_pg_e.pdf. 
5 The news item and programme of the workshop are available at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e /news11_e/heal_13oct11_e.htm. IP/C/W/577 
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  9. The Secretariat also held, on 19-21 October 201 1, its first Symposium on LDC Priority Needs 
for Technical and Financial Cooperation.  It was pa rt of a continuing process following up the Council 
for TRIPS Decision of 29 November 2005 which featured three elements:  (i) it invited LDCs to provide information on their individual priority needs for technical and financia l cooperation;  (ii) it 
called upon developed countries to cooperate in order to assist LDCs to address identified needs;  and 
(iii) it requested the WTO to enhance its cooperation with other IGOs, in particular with WIPO.  The 
Symposium also responded to a specific request for such activity made by the LDC Group at the 
Council for TRIPS meeting in June 2009.  The main purpose of the Symposium was to enhance 
coordination and to align available resources with the needs identified by LD Cs.  It provided an 
opportunity to discuss the work already undertaken, as well as the current state of play, and to plan 
coordination of future work.  The Symposium fa cilitated the exchange of views and experiences 
between LDCs concerned and de veloped countries, as well as the WTO, WIPO and UNCTAD.  
Information was provided on the current state of pl ay, including sharing of national experiences in 
Bangladesh, Malawi, Nepal, Sene gal, Tanzania, and Uganda.
6  A valuable feature of the workshop 
was a series of bilateral coordination meetings, which enabled LDC representatives to discuss their 
specific needs and priorities directly with a cross- section of potential technical cooperation partners.  
 Outside Geneva 
10. An important part of WTO technical cooperation in the field of IP has been the organization 
of, or participation in, international, regional and national seminars, work shops and other events 
outside Geneva.  The Annex to this document lists the technical cooperation missions outside Geneva 
organized by, or involving, staff of the WTO Intellectual Property Division. 
11. In accordance with the above-mentioned WTO Bi ennial Technical Assistance and Training 
Plan 2012-2013, four regional workshops, with a fo cus on the creative industries or on certain topical 
issues under discussion, examination or negotiation in  the TRIPS context, in particular TRIPS and 
public health, were held during the reporting period:  in Kingston, Jamaica, from 18 to 20 April 2012, 
for countries of the Caribbean;  Kuwait City, Kuwait, from 28 to 31 May 2012, for Arab and Middle 
Eastern Countries;  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 10 to 12 July 2012, for Asia and the Pacific 
region;  and Zagreb, Croatia, from 26 to 28 Septembe r 2012, for the CEECAC region.  The aim of the 
workshops was to provide information and an oppor tunity for an exchange of views among countries 
of the region that would facilitate their effectiv e participation in the ongoing negotiations or 
discussions.  Another objective was to provide an improved understanding of the WTO and the 
TRIPS Agreement, including the health-related flexib ilities in that Agreement and the operation of the 
Paragraph 6 System.  The programmes for these wo rkshops provide for presentations by WTO staff 
members and representatives of WIPO and WHO. 
12. Another important element of the Secretariat regional technical assistance activities included 
an Advanced Regional Workshop on Branding (Prot ection and Enforcement of Trademarks and other 
distinctive signs under the TRIPS Agreement) that  was held in Singapore from 14 to 18 November 
2011 under the WTO-Singapore Third Country Traini ng Programme.  Responding to the request by 
the Government of Singapore, this was the fourth  event focusing on TRIPS organized under this 
programme since 2009.  The event followed an impr oved format designed for this series that has 
proven successful in attracting specialized participan ts and delivering an advanced-level programme 
while optimizing cooperation with academic and institu tional partners of the host country, as well as 
other international organizations. 
13. In addition, the WTO organized three  national workshops devoted to IP matters, in 
cooperation with the host country (Ecuador, fro m 6-7 September 2012;  Bangkok, 14 September 
2012;  and Peru, from 27-28 September 2012). 
                                                      
6 For the presentations, go to: http://www.w to.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/ldc_e.htm.  IP/C/W/577 
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  14. One of the features of activities during the r ecent years has been the broader WTO events 
outside Geneva which have included a significant TRIPS component.  For example, the Secretariat contributed, in partnership with the University of  Swaziland and the Universidad Sergio Arboleda of 
Colombia, to WTO regional Trade Policy Courses with an important IP component. 
 eTraining  
15. A TRIPS module in the WTO eTraining Courses is an important component of WTO 
technical cooperation in the field of IP.  These are web-based courses for developing countries and economies in transition, which are either WTO Me mbers or observers.  Participants have online 
access to course material, background documents, in teractive sessions (chat, discussion forum and 
enquiry board).  They are assisted throughout th e course by a tutor, a course administrator and a 
helpdesk.  An important feature is that, since January 2011, eTraining is available in English, French 
and Spanish all-year-round.  In the invitations to  workshops and other training activities on the TRIPS 
Agreement, the Secretariat recommended giving pr iority to officials having successfully completed 
the WTO TRIPS eTraining course. 
Cooperation with WIPO and other Intergovernmental Organizations 
16. As indicated in this note and earlier reports s ubmitted to the Council for TRIPS, cooperation 
with WIPO has been a key feature of WTO Secretar iat technical cooperation in the TRIPS area.  This 
has been based on the 1995 coopera tion agreement between the two Or ganizations, Article 4 of which 
deals with legal technical assistance and technical cooperation7, and the WIPO-WTO Joint Initiative 
on Technical Cooperation for Least Developed Countries, launched in  June 2001.  In response to 
paragraph 4 of the Decision on th e Extension of the Transition Pe riod for Least Developed Country 
Members8, and based on the 1995 Cooperation Agre ement as well as the 2001 WIPO-WTO Joint 
Initiative, the two Organizations have further intensified their cooperation. 
17. The WTO Secretariat has also cooperated in the provision of technical cooperation in the area 
of TRIPS with other intergovernmental organi zations.  During the reporting period, activities 
continued to focus on issues related to public hea lth and IP in dialogue with the WHO and WIPO.  
This included the strengthening of coordination on re levant technical coopera tion and the provision of 
factual background information.9 
                                                      
7 The Agreement between the World Intellectua l Property Organization and the World Trade 
Organization came into effect on 1 January 1996.  Article 4 of the Agreement provides for the International 
Bureau of WIPO to make available to developing country WTO Members which are not members of WIPO the 
same legal technical assistance relating to the TRIPS Ag reement as it makes available to member states of 
WIPO which are developing countries.  The WTO Secretariat is required to  reciprocate.  The Agreement also 
provides for the International Bureau  and the WTO Secretariat to enhance cooperation in their legal-technical 
assistance and technical cooperation activities relating to the TRIPS Agreement for developing countries, so as to maximize the usefulness of those activities and ensure their mutually supportive nature. 
8 See above footnote 1.  Paragraph 4 of the Decision states that "in order to assist least developed 
country Members to draw up the inform ation to be presented in accordance with paragraph 2 and with a view to 
making technical assistance and capacity  building as effective and operational as possible, the WTO shall seek 
to enhance its cooperation with the World Intellect ual Property Organization and with other relevant 
international organizations". 
9 For more information on the process of trilateral cooperation see 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop _e/trips_e/who_wipo_wto_e.htm. IP/C/W/577 
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  ANNEX 
 
Technical Cooperation Missions in the TRIPS Area from 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012 
(Activities outside Geneva.  For Geneva-b ased events, see paragraphs 5 to 9 above) 
 
 
Date Place Mission 
14-18 November 2011 Singapore Singapore- WTO Advanced Regional Workshop on 
Branding for WTO Members and Observers in Asia and the Pacific 
6-8 February 2012 Bogota, Columbia WI PO Regional Seminar for Certain Latin 
American and Caribbean Countries on the Implementation and Use of Several Patent Related 
flexibilities 
26-28 March 2012 Bogota, Columbia TRIPS Sessions in WTO Regional Trade Policy 
Course for Latin America  
18-20 April 2012 Kingston, Jamaica WTO Regional Workshop on Creative Industries 
and IPRs for countries of the Caribbean 
28-31 May 2012 Kuwait City, Kuwait WTO– IMF/CEF Regional Workshop on IPRs and 
Public Policy for Arab and Middle Eastern Countries 
10-12 July 2012 Kuala Lumpur, 
Malaysia WTO-ESCAP-IIUM Regional Workshop on IP 
and Public Health and Environment Policy for Asia and the Pacific Region 
6-7 September 2012 Quito, Ecuador  National Training Course on the TRIPS 
Agreement 
14 September 2012 Bangkok, Thailand Workshop on the Implementation of Paragraph 6 
of the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health 
26-28 September 2012 Zagreb, Croatia WTO Regional Workshop on Intellectual Property 
and Public Health for the CEECAC Region 
27-28 September 2012 Lima, Peru WTO Na tional Workshop on IP and Trade and 
Transfer of Technology 
 
26-28 September 2012 Windhoek, Namibia WTO Regional course for the SADC Region 
 
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