IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
10 November 2016  
(16-6159) Page: 1/11 
Council for Trade -Related Aspec ts of 
Intellectual Property Rights  Original:  English  
 
  TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION FROM  
OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  
INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS (UPOV)  
Addendum  
At its meeting of 7-8 June 2016, the Council for TRIPS agreed to invite intergovernme ntal 
organization observers to the Council to update the information on their technical and financial 
cooperation programmes relating to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.  
 
The present document reproduces the information which has been received fro m the International 
Union f or The Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)  by means of a communication dated 
7 November  2016. 
 
_______________  
 
 
UPOV 's mission is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection, with the 
aim of e ncouraging the development of new varieties of plants, for the benefit of society.  
 
Information on membership of UPOV can be found at:  http://www.upov.int/members/en . 
 
The main objectives of UPOV are, in accor dance with the UPOV Convention, to:  
 
 provide and develop the legal, administrative and technical basis for international 
cooperation in plant variety protection;  
 assist States and organizations in the development of legislation and the implementation 
of an effective plant variety protection system ; and 
 enhance public awareness and understanding of the UPOV system of plant variety 
protection.  
Information on the technical and financial cooperation program mes of UPOV in relation to UPOV 's 
objectives is provide d as follows:  
 
Assistance to States and o rganizations in the development of legislation and the implementation of 
an effective plant variety protection system  
 
Annex I to this report provides information on UPOV 's activities in relation to the development of 
legislation and the implementation of an effective plant variety protection system for the period 
2015-2016. 
 
International Cooperation  
 
Annex II to this report provides information on international cooperation facilitated by UPOV.  
 
Annex III contains a  list of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report.  IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  ANNEX I1 
 
UPOV'S ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGISLATION AND THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EFFECTIVE PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION SYSTEM  
FOR THE PERIOD 2015 -2016 
Objectives:  
  To raise awaren ess of the role of plant variety protection according to the 
UPOV  Convention . 
 To assist States and organizations, particularly governments of developing 
countries and countries in transition to a market economy, in the development 
of legislation in accorda nce with the 1991 Act of the UPOV  Convention.  
 To assist States and organizations in their accession to the 1991 Act of the 
UPOV  Convention.  
 To assist States and organizations in implementing an effective plant variety 
protection system in accordance with t he UPOV Convention.  
 
1  ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEGISLATION:  
The Office provided assistance on plant variety protection legislation to the following UPOV 
members:  Brazil, Chil e, Colombia, Dominican Republic,  South Africa, Switzerland, Tri nidad and 
Tobago and Turkey . 
 
The Office provided advice and assistance on the development of plant variety protection 
legislation according to the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention and/or on the procedure to accede to 
the UPOV Convention to:  ARIPO, Barbados , Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bot swana, 
Brunei  Darussalam, Côte  d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, Iran (Islamic Republi c of), Jamaica, 
Kazakhstan, Lao  People 's Democratic Republic, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mauritius, 
Myanmar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Ta jikistan, Thailand, Togo, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe . 
 
2  PARTICIPATION IN UPOV AWARENESS -RAISING ACTIVITIES, OR ACTIVITIES 
INVOLVING UPOV STAFF OR UPOV TRAINERS ON BEHALF OF UPOV STAFF / UPOV 
AWARENESS -RAISING ACTIVITIES, OR ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UPOV STAFF OR UPOV 
TRAINERS ON BEHALF OF UPOV STAFF  
2.1  Activities organized by, or with, UPOV:  
 UPOV/Naktuinbouw/Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands Training Course on 
Plant Variety Protection, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania ( April 2015) 
 UPOV/USPTO  Training Course on "Plant variety Protection under the UPOV Convention ", 
Geneva, Switzerland ( May 2015) 
 Eighth Annual Meeting of the East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum (EAPVP Forum), 
Seoul, Republic of Korea ( September  2015) 
 International Training C ourse on Plant Variety Protection and Examination of 
Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS) under the UPOV Convention, Texcoco, 
Mexico ( September  2015) 
 Training Course "Contributing Data to the PLUTO Database " in English, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( Septemb er 2015) 
 Training Course "Contributing Data to the PLUTO Database " in Spanish, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( October  2015) 
 Train the Trainer Course for Ibero -American Countries on Plant Variety Protection Under 
the UPOV Convention and Complementary forms of Intelle ctual Property Protection, 
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (Plurinational State of) ( November  2015) 
 UPOV/WIPO Train the Trainer Course (for officials of OAPI and OAPI Member States), 
Geneva, Switzerland (November -December  2015) 
 Plant Variety Protection Se minar under the UPOV Convention, Bandar Seri Begawan, 
Brunei Darussalam ( December  2015) 
                                                
1 In English only.  IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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   Workshop on awareness of Plant Variety Protection under the UPOV Convention, 
Vientiane, Lao People 's Democratic Republic ( December  2015) 
 High-level Awareness -Raising Se minar of Plant Variety Protection under the UPOV 
Convention, Phnom Penh, Cambodia ( December  2015) 
 UPOV/USPTO/WIPO Train -the-Trainer Course on Plant Variety Protection under the UPOV 
Convention, Geneva, Switzerland ( May 2016) 
 International Seminar on Plant Variety Protection under the UPOV Convention, Lima, 
Peru ( May 2016) 
 Training Course on Plant Variety Protection under the UPOV Convention and Technology 
Transfer, Cuzco, Peru ( May 2016) 
 Legal consultation on the Law of Myanmar on Plant Variety Protection a nd the 1991 Act 
of the UPOV Convention, Geneva, Switzerland ( June 2016) 
 High-Level Study Tour on Plant Variety Protection, Tokyo and Yamagata Prefecture, 
Japan ( July 2016) 
 Training Course for DUS Test of Corn, Vung Tau, Viet Nam ( August  2016) 
 Seminar on th e Enforcement of Plant Breeders ' Rights under the UPOV Convention, 
Hanoi, Viet Nam ( September  2016) 
2.2  Activities/meetings in which UPOV participated:  
 15th Regular Session of the CGRFA, Rome, Italy ( January  2015) 
 OECD Seed Scheme Technical Working Group Meeti ng for the Certification of Seed 
Moving in International Trade, Paris, France ( January  2015) 
 Study visit for the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of 
Ghana, Amsterdam, Netherlands ( January  2015) 
 International Workshop on the prom otion of Public -Private Partnerships for Pre -breeding, 
Montpellier, France ( February  2015) 
 WIPO Expert Forum on International Technology Transfer, Geneva, Switzerland 
(February  2015) 
 AFSTA 's Annual Congress 2015 and ISTA/OECD/UPOV Pre -Congress Workshop, Vi ctoria 
Falls, Zimbabwe ( March  2015) 
 Second meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Committee on Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic 
Resources for Food and Agriculture (ACSU), Rome, Italy ( March  2015) 
 CPVO Administrative Council, Angers, France ( March  2015) 
 ASIPI 's Se minar on Intellectual Property in Agriculture, Asuncion, Paraguay 
(March  2015) 
 ISF Breeders ' Committee, Lausanne, Switzerland ( March  2015) 
 WIPO -WTO Advanced Course on Intellectual Property for Government Officials, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( March  2015) 
 Joint WI PO EU/CARIFORUM Sub -Regional Workshop on Geographical 
Indications/Origin -Linked Products and Branding, Bridgetown, Barbados ( March  2015) 
 Study visit for OAPI Officials to Swiss PVP Office, Bern, Switzerland ( March  2015) 
 WIPO Seminar on Intellectual Propert y and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge 
and Traditional Cultural Expressions : Regional, National and Local Experiences, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( March  2015) 
 Institut Polytechnique LaSalle  Master Curriculum in Plant Breeding, Beauvais, France 
(April 2015) 
 Workshop on Plant Breeders ' Rights an d Intellectual Property Rights of Plant - 
Implementation in Turkey and in the World (mainly the European Union), Antalya, 
Turkey ( April 2015) 
 Presentation on the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention at the Instituto Pensar  
Agropecuaria, Brasilia, Brazil ( April 2015) 
 National training course for DUS experts, San Fernando de Henares, Madrid, Spain 
(April 2015) 
 CIOPORA 's Annual General Meeting, Hamburg, Germany ( April 2015) 
 APSA's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Workshop, B angkok, Thailand ( May 2015) 
 Launch of the DuPont/Economist World Food Security Index and discussion on "Food and 
agriculture:  rural and urban innovations, a forum to highlight innovations in the food 
security challenge ", World Expo Milano, Italy ( May 2015) 
 ISF World Seed Congress 2015, Krakow, Poland ( May 2015) 
 KOICA/KSVS Training Course on "Plant Variety Protection and DUS Testing ", Kimcheon, 
Republic of Korea ( June 2015) IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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   Annual Meeting of the OECD Seed Schemes and OECD Forum 2015 "Investing in the 
Future : People, Planet, Prosperity ", Paris, France ( June 2015) 
 Jornada de la Protección de las Variedades Vegetales y otros Derechos de Propiedad 
Industrial en el Desarrollo de la Agricultura , Madrid, Spain ( June 2015) 
 Eighteenth International Course on Plant Var iety Protection (Naktuinbouw), Wageningen, 
Netherlands ( June 2015) 
 JICA Training course "Quality Control System of Seeds and Seedlings to Facilitate 
Distribution of High Quality Seeds ", Tsukuba, Japan ( June 2015) 
 WIPO -WTO Colloquium for Teachers of Intelle ctual Property, Geneva, Switzerland 
(June 2015) 
 WIPO Seminar on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge 
and Traditional Cultural Expressions : The Regional and International Dimensions, 
Geneva, Switzerland ( June 2015) 
 WIPO -UNIGE S ummer School on Intellectual Property, Geneva, Switzerland ( June 2015) 
 ARIPO Expert Committee Meeting, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania (June -July 2015) 
 ARIPO Administrative Council, United Republic of Tanzania (June -July 2015) 
 ARIPO Diplomatic Conferen ce for the Adoption of the Draft Protocol for the Protection of 
New Varieties of Plants (Plant Breeders ' Rights), United Republic of Tanzania 
(June -July 2015) 
 Sixth Edition of the WIPO -Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Master of 
Intellectual Proper ty Law, Brisbane, Australia ( July 2015) 
 Conference on "Climate change and food security : challenges for plant health, plant 
breeding and genetic resources ", World Expo Milano, Italy ( July 2015) 
 OAPI National Information and Awareness Seminar on the Protect ion of New Varieties of 
Plants, Buea, Cameroon ( July 2015) 
 WECARD workshops for the ECOWAS -UEMOA -CILSS Regional Seed Committee (COASem 
& CRSU) and Alliance for Seed Industry in West Africa (ASIWA), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire 
(August  2015) 
 Bolivian Seed Congres s, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 
(August  2015) 
 KSVS Symposium on Plant Variety Protection "Application procedure from foreign 
countries ", Seoul, Republic of Korea ( September  2015) 
 Third Meeting of the Platform for the Co -Develop ment and Transfer of Technologies (FAO 
headquarters), Rome, Italy ( September  2015) 
 SAA Fifth Seed Congress of the Americas, Cancún , Mexico ( September  2015) 
 "International Geneva Food Talks ", World Expo Milano, Italy ( September  2015) 
 CPVO Administrative Cou ncil (20th anniversary), Angers, France 
(September -October  2015) 
 TAIEX Workshop on Plant Variety Protection and Enforcement of Breeders ' Rights, 
Chisinau, Republic of Moldova ( October  2015) 
 Sixth Session of ITPGRFA Governing Body, Rome, Italy ( October  2015) 
 TAIEX expert mission on examination of applications and grants of breeders ' rights of 
new plant varieties and exchange of experiences regarding UPOV Convention 's legal 
aspects and their implementation, Ankara, Turkey ( October  2015) 
 ESA Annual Meeting, Vi enna, Austria ( October  2015) 
 International High -Level Seminar on Seeds, World Expo Milano, Italy ( October  2015) 
 WIPO African Ministerial Conference 2015 : Intellectual Property (IP) for an Emerging 
Africa, Dakar, Senegal ( November  2015) 
 Expert Seminar on "Peasants ' Right to Seeds and Intellectual Property Rights ", Geneva, 
Switzerland ( November  2015) 
 Plant Variety Rights Intensive Module on Plant Variety Protection, Master of Intellectual 
Property (Magister Lvcentinvs) of the University of Alicante, Alicante,  Spain 
(November  2015) 
 Thirty -Ninth Session of ARIPO Administrative Council and Fifteenth Session of ARIPO 
Council of Ministers, Lusaka, Zambia ( November  2015) 
 APSA Asian Seed Congress and Twenty -First APSA General Assembly Meeting, Goa, India 
(November  2015) 
 DUS Training Course on Tomato, Hanoi, Viet Nam (November -December  2015) 
 19th Annual Meeting between CPVO and its Examination Offices, Angers, France 
(December  2015) 
 Expert talk on "Seeds and Sustainable Agriculture ", GIZ premises, Bonn, Germany 
(Decemb er 2015) IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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   "Workshop on the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and 
Agriculture and preparation for the accession to the International Convention for the 
Protection of New Varieties of Plants " Dubai, United Arab Emirates ( December  2015) 
 Wageningen University International Food Law Master, WIPO headquarters, Geneva 
(January  2016) 
 Legal Consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Putrajaya, Malaysia 
(January  2016) 
 General Assembly of AOHE (Association of European Horticultural Breeders ), Paris, 
France ( January  2016) 
 Meeting of the All -Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture 
on the subject of "IP and Innovation in Agriculture", London, United Kingdom 
(January  2016) 
 TAIEX Workshop on plant variety protection – Benefit for science, technology transfer, 
production and consumers, Belgrade, Serbia ( February  2016) 
 Sixteenth AFSTA Annual Congress, Nairobi, Kenya ( March  2016) 
 KEPHIS Training Workshop on plant variety protection, Nairobi, Kenya ( March  2016) 
 WIPO -WTO Adva nced Course on Intellectual Property for Government Officials, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( March  2016) 
 Meeting with the Sierra Leone Seed Certification Agency (SLeSCA) and stakeholders in 
the seed sector in Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone ( March  2016) 
 UPOV l ecture at Institut Polytechnique LaSalle, Beauvais, France ( April 2016) 
 WIPO International Conference on Intellectual Property and Development, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( April 2016) 
 2016 Annual Congress of EIPIN, Alicante, Spain ( April 2016) 
 CPVO Administrative  Council meeting, Angers, France ( April 2016) 
 CIOPORA Annual General Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal ( April 2016) 
 Training Course on Plant Variety Protection, Musanze, Rwanda ( May 2016) 
 Workshop on innovative solutions to boost sustainable food production and WF O General 
Assembly, Livingstone, Zambia ( May 2016) 
 "OAPI Programme Master II en Propriété Intellectuelle ", Yaoundé, Cameroon ( May 2016) 
 ISF World Seed Congress, Punta del Este, Uruguay ( May 2016) 
 Symposium "Finding the Balance - Exploring solutions in the debate surrounding patents 
and plant breeders ' rights ", Brussels, Belgium ( May 2016) 
 KOICA/KSVS Training Course on Plant Variety Protection and DUS Testing, Seongnam 
City, Republic of Korea ( May 2016) 
 Event for the celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity "I have a seed ", 
UN Office in Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland ( May 2016) 
 WIPO Study Visit of Intellectual Property Focal Persons of the African Regional Economic 
Communities and Executive Bodies of the African Union, Geneva, Switzerland 
(May 2016) 
 Presentation of UPOV during a study visit of a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 
Paris, France ( May 2016) 
 OECD Annual Meeting and Joint OECD/UPOV/ISTA/AOSA Workshop on Biochemical and 
Molecular Methods, Paris, France ( June 2016) 
 8th Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Plant Genetic 
Resources for Food and Agriculture of the CGRFA, Rome, Italy ( June 2016) 
 Workshop on Essentially Derived Varieties, Shanghai, China ( June 2016) 
 Eighteenth International Course on Plant V ariety Protection (Naktuinbouw), Wageningen, 
Netherlands ( June 2016) 
 Expert Review Meeting for the Finalization of the Draft Regulations of the Arusha 
Protocol, Harare, Zimbabwe ( June 2016) 
 JICA training course on "Plant Variety Protection and Quality Cont rol System of Seeds 
and Seedlings to Facilitate Distribution of High Quality Seeds ", Tsukuba, Japan 
(June 2016) 
 Thirty -First Congress of ISTA, Tallinn, Estonia ( June 2016) 
 WIPO -WTO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property, Geneva, Switzerland 
(June 2016) 
 First Meeting of the CPVO Working Group for the revision of the Variety Denominations 
Explanatory Notes and Guidelines, Paris, France ( June 2016) 
 WIPO -UNIGE Summer School on Intellectual Property, Geneva, Switzerland ( July 2016) 
 Experience -sharing r oundtable on feasibility of China 's accession to UPOV '91, Brussels, 
Belgium ( July 2016) IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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   USPTO Program me on "Plant-Related Intellectual Property and Related International 
Developments ", Washington D.C., United States of America ( July 2016) 
 Master of IP Law , Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia ( July 2016) 
 Workshop with students of the JICA Training Course, Tsukuba, Japan ( July 2016) 
 Meeting on "Plant Variety Protection under the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention : Views 
from APEC Economies about Challenges and Opportunities, including for Developing 
Economies and SMEs ", Lima, Peru ( August  2016) 
 Preparatory and Planning Session for the Fourth Partners ' Meeting of the Platform for the 
Co-Development and Transfer of Technologies, FAO Liaison Of fice, Geneva, Switzerland 
(August  2016) 
 Study visit to WIPO headquarters of journalists from Chile and Peru, Geneva, 
Switzerland ( August  2016) 
 Ninth East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum, Hanoi, Viet Nam ( September  2016) 
 Information and Awareness Semina r on the protection of new varieties of plants for 
experts from agricultural research centers and decision -makers in the field of agriculture, 
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire ( September  2016) 
 Second Global Consultations Conference for Famers ' Rights, organized by t he Norwegian 
Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the 
International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), 
Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia ( September  2016) 
 25th session of FAO Committee on Agriculture, Rome, Italy ( September  2016) 
 Workshop on Intellectual Property Asset Manageme nt by Small and Medium -Sized 
Enterprises, Lomé, Togo ( September  2016) 
3  PARTICIPATION IN UPOV DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES DL -205 "INTRODUCTION TO 
THE UPOV SYSTEM OF PL ANT VARIETY PROTECTION UNDER THE UPOV  CONVENTION" 
AND DL -305 "EXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR PLANT BREEDERS' RIGHTS" 
(INCLUDING DL -305, DL -305A AND DL -305B)  
3.1  Countries from which there were participants in the UPOV distance learning course 
DL-205 (201 5 and 2016) 
Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, 
Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican 
Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Ger many, Ghana, Guatemala, Hungary, 
India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lao People's 
Democratic Republic, Latvia, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New 
Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama , Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, 
Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, 
Switzerland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of 
Tanzania, Uni ted States of America, Uruguay, Viet Nam, Zimbabwe, OAPI (68 States, 1 
organization)  
 
3.2  Total number of participants in the DL -205 course (201 5 and 2016) 
Category  Number of 
participants  
Government officials of members of the Union  309 
Officials of observer  States / intergovernmental organizations  30 
Total:  339 
 IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  3.3  Special sessions of the DL -205 course "Introduction to the UPOV System of Plant 
Variety Protection under the UPOV Convention " (in 201 5 and 201 6) 
Month/  
Year Name of Course  Number of 
participants  
May 2015 Train the Trainer Course on Plant Variety Protection under the 
UPOV  Convention (Geneva, Switzerland)  11 
 
June 2015 KOICA Training Course on Plant Variety Protection  
(Republic of Korea)  6 
June 2015 Naktuinbouw International Course on Plant Variety  Protection 
Course (Netherlands)  10 
June 2015 JICA Training Course on "Internationally Harmonized Plant 
Variety Protection System " (Japan)  10 
October  2015 National Seminar on plant variety protection under the UPOV 
Convention (Chile)  39 
November  2015 Train the Trainer Course on Plant Variety Protection under the 
UPOV  Convention (Geneva, Switzerland)  17 
November  2015 Train the Trainer Course for Ibero -American Countries on Plant 
Variety Protection Under the UPOV Convention and 
Complementary forms of Int ellectual Property Protection 
(Santa Cruz, Bolivia)  5 
November  2015 Others (UPOV fee waiver)  10 
April 2016 Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais - Plant Breeding 
Master Programme (France)  19 
May 2016 Train the Trainer Course on Plant Variety Protectio n under the 
UPOV  Convention (Geneva, Switzerland)  11 
May 2016 KOICA Training Course on Plant Variety Protection (Republic of 
Korea)  8 
June 2016 Naktuinbouw International Course on Plant Variety Protection 
(Netherlands)  4 
June 2016 JICA Training Course o n "Internationally Harmonized Plant 
Variety Protection System " (Japan)  11 
 
3.4  Total number of participants in the DL -305 course "Examination of Applications for 
Plant Breeders ' Rights " (in 201 5 and 201 6) 
Participants from  Number of 
participants  
Government o fficials of members of the Union  189 
Officials of observer States / intergovernmental organizations  9 
Total:  198 
 
3.5  Total number of participants in the DL -305A course "Administration of Plant 
Breeders ' Rights " (in 2015  and 2016 ) 
Category  Number of 
partici pants  
Government officials of members of the Union  105 
Officials of observer States / intergovernmental organizations  10 
Total:  115 
 
 IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  3.6  Total number of participants in the DL -305B course "DUS Examination " (in 2015  and 2016 ) 
Category  Number of 
participant s 
Government officials of members of the Union  104 
Officials of observer States / intergovernmental organizations  3 
Total:  107 
 IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  ANNEX II1 
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FACILITATED BY UPOV  
UPOV facilitates cooperation in the examination of plant varieties as follows:  
 
a. Document C/50/5 "Cooperation in Examination " contains a synopsis of offers for 
cooperation in examination made by authorities, of cooperation already established 
between authorities and of any envisaged cooperation.  
(see http://www.upov.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=40044 ) 
b. Document TC/52/4 "List of Genera and Species for which Authorities have Practical 
Experience in the Examination of Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability " provides 
information on plant genera and species for which authorities have practical experience 
in the examination of Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability (DUS).  
(see http://www.upov.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=38785 ) 
c. UPOV has developed "Guidelines for the Conduct of Tests for Distinctness, Uniformity 
and Stability, " or "Test Guidelines ", for many individual species or other variety 
groupings (see http://www.upov.int/test_guidelines/en/ ). The purpose of these Test 
Guidelines is to provide practical guidance for the harmonized examination of DUS and, 
in particular, to identify appropriate characteristi cs for the examination of DUS and 
production of harmonized variety descriptions.  In 2015, the adopted Test Guidelines 
covered 92 % of all entries concerning plant variety protection in the PLUTO Plant Variety 
Database (246,890 of 267,550).  
d. The GENIE databas e provides a dynamic source of information on the cooperation 
explained above.  (see http://www.upov.int/genie/en/ ) 
e. The PLUTO Plant Variety Database provides information concerning plant breeders' 
rights.  (see http://www.upov.int/pluto/en/ ) 
 
                                                
1 In English only.  IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  ANNEX III1 
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS  
UPOV terms  
 
DL-205 UPOV distance learning course "Introduction to the UPOV System of Plant Variety 
Protection under the UPOV Convention " 
DL-305 UPOV distance learning course "Examination of Applications for Plant Breeders ' 
Rights " 
DL-305A UPOV distance learning course "Administration of Plant Breeders ' Rights"  
(part A of DL -305) 
DL-305B UPOV distance learning course "DUS Examination " (part B of DL -305) 
DUS Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability  
Office  Office of the Union  
TC Technical Committee  
 
 
Acronyms  
 
AATF African Agricultural Technology Foundation  
AECID  Spanish Agency for Cooperation and Economic Development  
AFSTA  African Seed Trade  Association  
AGEPI  State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova  
AGRA  Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa  
AOHE  Association of European Horticultural Breeders  
AOSA  Association of Official Seed Analyst  
APEC-IPEG Asia Pacific Econo mic Cooperation 's Intellectual Property Rights Experts ' Group  
APSA  Asia and Pacific Seed Association  
ARIPO  African Regional Intellectual Property Organization  
ASIPI  Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property  
ASTA  American Seed Trade Associatio n 
CARICOM  Caribbean Community  
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity  
CGIAR  Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research  
CGRFA  Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture  
CIOPORA  International Community of Breeders of Asexuall y Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit 
Varieties  
COMESA  Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa  
CPVO  Community Plant Variety Office of the European Union  
EAPVP Forum  East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum  
ECCAS  Economic Community of Central African States  
ECOWAS  Economic Community of West African States  
EIPIN  European Intellectual Property Institutes Network  
ESA European Seed Association  
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  
FWCC  Friends World Committee for Consultation  
GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH  
(German Agency for International Cooperation)  
GNIS Groupement national interprofessionnel des semences et plants  
ICARDA  International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas  
ICBA International Center for Biosaline Agriculture  
ICNP Open -ended Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Committee for the Nagoya Protocol on 
Access and Benefit -sharing  
IEPI Instituto Ecuatoriano de la Propiedad Intelectual  
(Ecuadorian Institute of Intellectual Property)  
ILO International Labour Organization  
                                                
1 In English only.  IP/C/W/614/Add.8  
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  INDECOPI  Peruvian Institute for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property  
ISF International Seed Federation  
ISTA International Seed Testing Association  
ITPGRFA  International Treaty on Plant Genetic Reso urces for Food and Agriculture  
JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency  
KEPHIS  Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service  
KOICA  Korea International Cooperation Agency  
KSVS  Korea Seed and Variety Service  
NEPAD  New Partnership for Africa 's Development  
OAPI African Intellectual Property Organization  
OECD  Organisation for Economic Co -Operation and Development  
OEVV  Spanish Plant Variety Office  
OIF Organisation internationale de la francophonie  
QUNO  Quaker United Nations Office  
QUT Queensland Universit y of Technology  
SAA Seed Association of the Americas  
SADC  Southern African Development Community  
TAIEX  Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX) of the 
European  Union  
UBIS University of Business and International Studies  
UEMOA  Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (West African Economic and 
Monetary Union)  
UN United Nations  
UNIGE  University of Geneva  
USPTO  United States Patent and Trademark Office  
WECARD  West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and D evelopment  
WFO World Farmers ' Organization  
WIPO  World Intellectual Property Organization  
WTO World Trade Organization  
 
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