IP/C/W/590  
 
5 August 2013  
(13-4186)  Page: 1/8  
Council for Trade-Related Aspects of  
Intellectual Property Rights    
  
WTO SECRETARIAT TECHNICAL COOP ERATION IN THE TRIPS AREA 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT 
 
 
   
 
 This document reports on the WTO Secretariat's technical cooperation activities concerning TRIPS 
undertaken between 1 October 2012 and 31 August 20 13. 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 or TRIPS component. It follows the previous report 
to the Council for TRIPS contained in document IP/C/W/577, dated 12 September 2013. This 
document provides a general overview. Details of  each activity are provided in the Annex. 
MAIN ORIENTATIONS 1.  The Secretariat's technical cooperation activities in relation to TRIPS continue to focus on 
assisting Members and Observers to understand th e rights and obligations, including the available 
options, which flow from the TRIPS Agreement and relevant decisions of WTO bodies, in order to enable them to meet their developmental and other domestic policy objectives. In particular, 
Members and Observers receive assistance regard ing the flexibilities in the 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 national legislation.  
Technical cooperation activities also aim to support Members to participate fully and substantively 
in the WTO's ongoing work on TRIPS matters, in part icular building their capacity to assess what is 
at stake for them in issues under negotiation, examination or review. The Secretariat 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 increased tailoring and focusing of technical 
assistance activities on specific areas of interest or sectoral policy themes, complementing the 
activities that provide general overviews of the TRIPS Agreement. The Secretariat also assisted 
countries to prepare for accession to the WTO and trained officials of acceding countries. The 
technical assistance programme continued to prioritize assistance to least developed country (LDC) 
Members, especially in the light of identifying and responding to their individual needs so as to ensure that capacity building activities are we ll coordinated and effective. The emphasis on the 
individual priority needs of LDCs was carried through in programme delivery and through close 
interagency coordination.  
3.  The past focus on ensuring complementarity and cooperation with other intergovernmental 
organizations has been further enhanced, especially through coordination with WIPO and the WHO 
in the field of IP and public health. Technical cooperation on TRIPS has been delivered through 
information and advice given to Members in Ge neva, and through study programmes, training 
courses, seminars and workshops for developing countries in Geneva and elsewhere. This document has been prepared 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/590 
 
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  INFORMATION AND ADVICE TO MEMBERS 
4.  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 pr ovisions of the TRIPS Agreement, the options 
available under these provisions and matters under discussion or negotiation in the Council for 
TRIPS. Both Geneva delegations and visiting of ficials 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. Officials from acceding countries have 
also asked for and received advice and information on a host of IP issues. 
SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, TRAINING COURSES AND OTHER TECHNICAL COOPERATION 
ACTIVITIES 
 In Geneva 
5.  Many broader WTO training courses, seminars  and workshops included a significant component 
on TRIPS, such as the regular WTO Trade Policy Courses, the Introduction Courses for LDCs, the 
"Geneva Weeks" for Non-Residents, and other events held in Geneva. Three Advanced Trade Policy 
Courses held during the reporting period also included a visit to WIPO, enabling participants to learn about that Organization, its conventions and activities. In addition, the Secretariat organized 
a number of special study progra mmes for government officials. 
6.  The tenth joint WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teac hers of Intellectual Property from Developing 
Countries 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 activities and instruments of the WIPO and the WTO with focus on important policy issues under 
negotiation or discussion in the two Organizations, and to set these issues in their wider legal and 
policy context. In addition to speakers from th e two Secretariats and from the WHO and the UPOV, 
several Geneva-based delegates as well as repres entatives 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. The plans developed to build an active alumni network, and the development of the Colloquium papers as a quality academic journal
1, together 
ensure that this activity will have significant long-term impact, particularly in strengthening 
indigenous capacity both for teaching IP with an  international and policy-rich perspective, and for 
critically analysing and assessing current IP policy issues. 
7.  The fifth joint WIPO-WTO Advanced Course on Intellectual Property continued to draw on the 
experience of the Colloquium, and applied a simi lar programme structure and pedagogic strategy, 
but was tailored and focused on government offici als and public sector policymakers instead of 
university teachers and researchers. The course al so applied the notion of gradual and progressive 
learning: in order to qualify for the course, the candidates had to complete the WTO eTraining 
TRIPS Course or possess commensurate knowledge or professional experience. The course was thus able 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 wide range of practical experiences covered in the programme. 
8.  The eighth Workshop on Intellectual Property  and Public Health was again organized in close 
collaboration with the WHO and WIPO, reflecting the intense co-operation between the three 
Organizations on issues at the crossroad between public health, intellectual property and trade more generally. It was specifically designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the key issues 
which affect both innovation of new medical technologies and access to such technologies. 
Presentations, discussions and practical exerci ses looked at the TRIPS Agreement and other 
relevant WIPO Treaties and WHO instruments, intellectual property policies and strategies applied 
                                               
1 Papers presented at the Colloquium of 2012 will be  compiled and published by WIPO and the WTO and 
will be available on-line as an edited volume, intend ed to provide a resource for researchers and analysts 
covering contemporary IP and TRIPS issues from the perspe ctive of a wide range of de veloping countries.  This 
will be the third volume in a formal publication series.  IP/C/W/590 
 
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  by governments, as well as the management of intellectual property rights as applied to concrete 
health-related projects. The workshop familiarized  participants with the key concepts under the 
TRIPS Agreement and other intellectual property instruments, and how their provisions can be 
implemented in national law. It covered a range of subjects including the additional flexibility 
agreed by WTO Members that allows for the grant of special compulsory licences to export 
medicines to countries that cannot manufacture the medicines themselves. Other TRIPS provisions and flexibilities directly relevant to public health and future needs were also examined. A particular 
emphasis was laid on pricing and procurement policies as a key element in securing access to 
medicines. Among the other issues covered were those related to licensing policies adopted by the private sector, the safety, efficacy and quality of medicines, the role of competition policy, and intellectual property rights provisions in regional or bilateral free trade agreements. Alongside 
speakers from the WTO, the WHO and WIPO, a wide range of other speakers shared their 
experiences and views, including representatives of developed and developing country WTO members, the research and development (R&D) in dustry, Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors 
without Borders), the Global Fund and the Medicines for Malaria Venture. The programme thus 
offered a rounded view of the issues at the cro ssroad between intellectual property rights and 
public health.
 
9.  The second Symposium on LDC Priority Needs for Technical and Financial Cooperation aimed to 
enhance coordination of assistance to those LDCs which have yet to identify their priority needs to implement the TRIPS Agreement in a manner supportive of their domestic policy objectives, as well as to align available resources with the individual needs that have already been identified by a 
number of LDCs. The Symposium provided an oppo rtunity to discuss the work already undertaken, 
as well as the current state of play, and to explore avenues for enhanced coordination of future work. Additional support provided by the Sw edish Government, made possible the valuable 
presence of many capital-based experts from LDCs  could be secured. Information was provided on 
the current state of play, including sharing of national experiences in several LDCs. A valuable feature of the Symposium 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. The Symposium was also used to develop, with the support of the Swedish Government, a factual Overview on Technical and Financial Co-operation for LDCs Related to the TRIPS Agreement aimed to facilitate identifying and responding to 
individual priority needs of LDCs. 
10.  The Symposium is part of a continuing proce ss of identifying and responding to priority needs 
in individual LDC Members to help them implement the TRIPS Agreement within their national 
intellectual property systems and also responded to a specific request made by the LDC Group at 
the TRIPS Council meeting in June 2009. This process was launched under the Decision on the Extension of the Transition Period Under Article 66.1 for LDC Members, taken by the TRIPS Council 
on 29 November 2005.
2 It called on least developed countries to identify their priority needs for 
technical and financial cooperation and developed countries were asked to help to address identified needs. Finally, the decision called on the WTO to enhance its co-operation with the WIPO 
and other relevant international organizations to facilitate the design of effective and operational 
technical assistance responsive to the needs expr essed by LDCs. The Decision of the TRIPS Council 
of 11 June 2013
3 further extended the transition peri od for LDC Members and reaffirmed the 
continuing needs of LDCs for technical and financial co-operation so that they can achieve their 
individual developmental and other domestic objectives within a balanced IP regime. 
 Outside Geneva 11.  The Annex lists WTO technical cooperation seminars, workshops and other events outside 
Geneva. 
12.  In accordance with the WTO Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2012-2013, two 
regional workshops, with a focus 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 Bogota, Colombia, for countries of Latin America and in Arusha, Tanzania, for 
English-speaking African countries.  The aim of the workshops was to provide information and an opportunity for an exchange of views among countri es of the region that would facilitate their 
                                               
2 WTO Document IP/C/40 of 30 November 2005. 
3 WTO Document IP/C/64 of 12 June 2013.  IP/C/W/590 
 
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  effective 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 
flexibilities in that Agreement and the operatio n of the Paragraph 6 System. The programmes for 
these workshops provided for presentations by WTO staff members and representatives of WIPO 
and WHO, as well as regional and sub-regional Secretariats and other key stakeholders.  
 
13.  The Sub-regional Workshop on Intellectual Pr operty and LDC Priority Needs, Arusha, Tanzania 
responded to a request made by the EAC Secretariat whose main purpose was to further enhance 
the coordination of the process designed to identi fy and respond to LDC individual priority needs. 
In particular, the workshop aimed at enhancing c oordination and aligning available resources with 
the needs identified by Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda , or to be identified in the case of Burundi. 
14.  In addition, the WTO organized five  national workshops devoted to IP matters, in Madagascar 
(on TRIPS and Priority Needs); Togo (on TRIPS and Priority Needs); Angola (on TRIPS and Public Health; South Africa (on Intellectual Property and Public Health); and Lao PDR (on TRIPS – 
Trademarks and Geographical Indications). In line with the demand driven nature of technical 
assistance, these activities responded to the specific needs identified and organized in co-operation with recipient countries. 
15.  Broader WTO technical assistance activities outside Geneva have included a significant TRIPS 
component. For example, the Secretariat contribute d, in partnership with the Indian Institute of 
Foreign Trade, India; with the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce of Tunis, Tunisia; and with the IMF/CEF and the University of Kuwait; to WTO regi onal Trade Policy Courses with a significant IP 
component. 
 eTraining 16.  A TRIPS module is included in WTO eTraining Courses, web-based courses for developing 
country and economies in transition WTO Members an d Observers, provided in English, French and 
Spanish all-year-round. Participants have online access to course material, background documents, interactive sessions (chat, discussion forum and enquiry board). They are assisted 
throughout the course by a tutor, a course administrator and a helpdesk. In the invitations to 
workshops and other more advanced training acti vities on the TRIPS Agreement, the Secretariat 
has prioritised candidates having successfully completed the WTO TRIPS eTraining course. 
COOPERATION WITH WIPO AND OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 
17.  Cooperation with WIPO continues as a key feature of technical cooperation in the TRIPS area, 
based on the 1995 cooperation agreement betwee n the two Organizations, and the WIPO-WTO 
Joint Initiative on Technical Cooperation for Least Developed Countries, launched in June 2001. In 
response to paragraph 4 of the 2005 Decision on th e Extension of the Transition Period for Least 
Developed Country Members
4, and based on the 1995 Cooperation Agreement as well as the 2001 
WIPO-WTO Joint Initiative, the two Organizations have further intensified their cooperation. 
18.  The WTO Secretariat's technical cooperation in the area of TRIPS includes co-operation with 
other intergovernmental organizations. In particular, the WHO, WIPO and WTO Secretariats have strengthened their trilateral cooperation with a view to fostering a better understanding of the 
linkage between public health, intellectual proper ty and trade more generally and to enhance a 
mutually supportive implementation of the relevant policies in those areas. In order to support this 
objective, the three Organizations jointly published a study on "Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation" in February 2013. This trilateral study is maps the intersections 
between public health, intellectual property and trade and how these policy domains each affect 
innovation and access to medical technologies. To do so, it captures a broad range of experience and data in dealing with the interplay between intellectual property, trade rules and the dynamics 
of access to, and innovation in, medical technologies. The study is intended to inform ongoing 
                                               
4 See above footnote 2. Paragraph 4 of the Decision  stated that "in order to  assist least developed 
country Members to draw up the information to be presented in accordance with paragraph 2 and with a view 
to making technical assistance and ca pacity building as effective and op erational as possible, the WTO shall 
seek to enhance its cooperation with the World Intellec tual Property Organization and with other relevant 
international organizations".  IP/C/W/590 
 
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  technical cooperation activities undertaken by the three Organizations and to support policy 
discussions. Based on many years of field experien ce in technical cooperation, the study has been 
prepared to serve the needs of policy-makers wh o seek a comprehensive presentation of the full 
range of issues, as well as lawmakers, government officials, delegates to international 
organizations, non-governmental organizations and researchers. 
19.  The third in the series of technical symposia jointly organized by the WHO, WIPO and the 
WTO addressed "Medical Innovation – Changing Business Models" building on specific topics 
covered by the trilateral study. Speakers from various backgrounds discussed current changes in 
the innovation landscape and explored a wide range of new and potential business models in medical innovation. Underlying the discussion was a shared view that intellectual property protection is a tool to support public health. At the same time, a balanced and flexible approach 
would be needed to avoid obstacles that prevent ac cess to affordable pharmaceuticals, as much as 
management of intellectual property in a way that responds to public health needs. Cooperation was seen as the guiding principle, among others to gather more empirical data that would make 
the policy debate even better informed and to ensure well-coordinated and effective capacity 
building activities at international level.  
  IP/C/W/590  
 
- 6 - ANNEX 
 
Technical Cooperation Activities in the TRIPS Area from 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2013 
 
 
Category Date Location Activity Link to further details 
Training 9–12 October 2012 Geneva Eighth Workshop on Intellectual Property and 
Public Health http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news12_e/heal_23oct12
_e.htm  
Training 22-24 October 2012 Geneva Advanced Trade Policy Course (sessions on 
TRIPS) http://gtad.wto.org/projec t.aspx?prjCode=ATPC12/2  
Training 10-14 December 2012 Geneva 25th Geneva Week for Non-Resident Members 
and Observers http://gtad.wto.org/proj ect.aspx?prjCode=GVA12/2  
Training 18-20 February 2013 Geneva Advanced Trade Policy Course (sessions on 
TRIPS) http://gtad.wto.org/projec t.aspx?prjCode=ATPC13/1  
Training 11-22 March 2013 Geneva Fifth WIPO-WTO Advanced Course on 
Intellectual Property fo r Government Officials  Programme available at: 
http://gtad.wto.org/publish/2338/20130716130142_tc13-
4_pg_e.pdf  
For more information, see al so the WTO news item at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/tra_11mar13_
e.htm  
Training 3-5 June 2013 Geneva Advanced Trade Policy Course (sessions on 
TRIPS) http://gtad.wto.org/projec t.aspx?prjCode=ATPC12/1  
Training 29 April-3 May 2013 Geneva 26th Geneva Week for Non-Resident Members 
and Observers http://gtad.wto.org/proj ect.aspx?prjCode=GVA13/1  
Training 17-28 June 2013 Geneva 10th WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teachers of 
Intellectual Property from Developing Countries Programme available at: 
http://gtad.wto.org/publish/2348/20130716124534_wto13-
8_pg_e.pdf  
For more information, see al so the WTO news item at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/tra top_e/trips_e/colloquium_mai
n_e.htm  
Training 9-27 September 2013 Geneva Introduction Course for LDCs http://gtad.wto.org/proj ect.aspx?prjCode=IC13/1  
Training 11-13 October 2012 New Delhi, India WTO Regional Trade Policy Course for Asia-   
  IP/C/W/590  
 
- 7 - Category Date Location Activity Link to further details 
Pacific (sessions on TRIPS) 
Training 5-6 November 2012    Harare, Zimbabwe WIPO African Sub-Regional Workshop on 
Developing National Strategies and Policies:  
New Perspectives on  Copyright (negotiating 
skills segment)  
Training 13-14 November 2012 Manila, Philippines National Seminar on International Issues and 
IPR  
Training 14 November 2012 Montevideo, 
Uruguay Short Trade Policy Course for ALADI Members 
(sessions on TRIPS)  
Training 21-22 November 2012 Antananarivo, 
Madagascar National Seminar on TRIPS and Priority Needs  
Training 25-26 November 2012 
2012 Kuwait City, Kuwait Short Trade Po licy Course for Arab and Middle 
East Countries (sessions on TRIPS)  
Training 15-16 January 2013 Manama, Bahrain National Workshop on Intellectual Property 
Issues organized by UNDP  
Training 29-31 January 2013 Durban, South 
Africa WIPO-DTI Regional Seminar for Certain African 
Countries on the Implementation and Use of Several Patent-related Flexibilities http://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/mdocs/en/wipo_ip_dur_13
/wipo_ip_dur_13_inf_1_prov.pdf  
Training 16-18 April 2013 Bogota, Columbia Regional Workshop for Latin America on Public 
Policy Issues Related to the TRIPS Agreement 
for Latin America   
Training 6-8 May 2013 Cairo, Egypt 2nd WIPO Inter-Regional Meeting on South-
South Co-operation on Patents, Trademarks, Geographical Indications, Industrial Design and Enforcement http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/2013/wipo_ssc_cai_13/  
 
Training 21-22 May 2013 Lomé, Togo National Seminar on TRIPS and Priority Needs  
Training 29-31 May 2013 Arusha, Tanzania Region al Workshop on Intellectual Property and 
Public Health for English-speaking African Countries http://etraining.wto.org/ITTC/gtad/activitysheets/trips13-
3_as_e.pdf   
  IP/C/W/590  
 
- 8 - Category Date Location Activity Link to further details 
 
Training 3-4 June 2013 Arusha, Tanzania Sub-regional Workshop on Intellectual Property 
and LDC Priority Needs  
Training 17-18 June 2013 Istanbul, Turkey Short Trade Policy Course for the CEECAC 
Region (sessions on TRIPS)  
Training 18-19 June 2013 Tunis, Tunisia Regional Trade Policy Course for French-
speaking African Countries (sessions on TRIPS)  
Training 10-11 July 2013 Luanda, Angola Nation al Seminar on TRIPS and Public Health  
Training 7-8 August 2013 Pretoria, South 
Africa National Workshop on Intellectual Property and 
Public Health  
Training 27-28 August 2013 Vientiane, Lao PDR Na tional Workshop on TR IPS – Trademarks and 
Geographical Indications   
Training  throughout the year remote access WTO E-learning Course on Trade-Related 
Intellectual Property Rights http://etraining.wto.org/default.asp  
 
TA 
Coordination 31 October-2 
November 2012 Geneva 2nd Symposium on LDC Priority Needs for 
Technical and Financial Cooperation. http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/ldc_e.htm  
 
Symposium 5 July 2013 Geneva WHO-WIPO-WTO Technical Symposium on 
"Medical Innovation – Changing Business 
Models" http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/2013/who_wipo_ip_med_g
e_13/ . 
For more information, see al so the WTO news item at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/trip_05jul13_
e.htm  
Publications 5 February 2013 Geneva Launch of WHO/WIPO/WTO Study on 
"Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation" www.wto.org/english/res_e/b ooksp_e/pamtiwhowipowtoweb1
3_e.pdf 
For more information, see al so the WTO news item at: 
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/trip_05feb13_e.htm  
Publications May 2013 
 Geneva Factual Overview on Technical & Financial Co-
operation for LDCs related to the TRIPS 
Agreement – information resource financed by 
the Swedish Government 
  http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/ldc_e.htm  
__________