WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  IP/C/W/515 
26 September 2008 
 (08-4524) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights  
 
 
 
WTO SECRETARIAT TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN THE TRIPS AREA  
 
Note by the Secretariat  
 
 
    
 
1. This document updates the information on the WTO Secretariat's technical cooperation 
activities in regard to TRIPS matters contained in  document IP/C/W/494, dated 27 September 2007.  
It covers the period from 1 October 2007 to 30 Sept ember 2008.  It deals both with the Secretariat's 
technical activities that specifically relate to intellectual property and with those of a broader character which have a significant intellectual property component. 
Main Orientations
 
2. The Secretariat's technical cooperation activities in relation to TRIPS ha ve continued to be 
directed towards assisting Members to understand th e rights and obligations, including the available 
options, which flow from the TRIPS Agreement and re levant decisions of WTO bodies.  In particular, 
Members have received assistance to use th e flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement and the 
mechanisms under the TRIPS Agreement, such as th e Paragraph 6 Mechanism on TRIPS and public 
health and in regard to notifications and reviews of  national legislation.  The Secretariat's technical 
cooperation activities in the TRIPS area have also been aimed at assisting Members to participate 
fully in the ongoing work in the WTO on TRIPS matte rs, in particular by assisting them to assess 
what is at stake for them in issues under negotiation,  examination or review.  In the last years, the 
Secretariat has sought to pay increasing attention to cap acity building, the training of trainers, etc. in 
developing countries. 
3. The technical cooperation made available has been driven essentially by demand from 
Members.  The Secretariat has also provided assi stance to countries seeking to join the WTO by 
helping them to prepare for the accession process and by training officials.  Priority continues to be 
attached to assistance to least-developed countri es, which includes components geared towards the 
type of needs assessment foreseen in paragraph 2 of the Decision on the Extension of the Transition 
Period under Article 66.1 for Least-Developed Country Members.1  Importance has been attached to 
ensuring complementarity and cooperation with other intergovernmental organizations, in particular 
WIPO and the WHO.  The main modes of supply of  technical cooperation specifically relating to the 
TRIPS Agreement have been information and ad vice given to Members in Geneva and study 
                                                      
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/515 
Page 2  
 
  programmes, training courses, seminars and work shops for developing coun tries in Geneva and 
elsewhere. 
Information and Advice to Members in Geneva
 
4. A significant part of the work of Secretariat o fficials dealing with intellectual property matters 
has been concerned with providing information in response to questions put to them by 
representatives of Member governments, e.g. notifi cation and review procedures, the meaning of 
particular provisions of the TRIPS Agreement,  the options available under these provisions and 
matters under discussion or negotiation in the TRIPS Council.  Matters have been raised with the 
Secretariat not only by local delegations but also by visiting intellectual property officials and as a 
result of direct contacts from officials in capitals on issues such as domestic draft legislation or the 
ongoing work and negotiations in the TRIPS Council.  Advice and information have also been given 
to officials from acceding countries.   
5. As regards more specifically LDC needs assess ments foreseen in the aforementioned TRIPS 
Council Decision of 29 November 2005, the WTO S ecretariat has facilitated initial contacts between 
stakeholders, based on the priority needs submitted by Uganda2 and Sierra Leone3 to the TRIPS 
Council in October 2007.  As requested by Uganda  and Sierra Leone, the Secretariat organized two 
informal meetings between Uganda and Sierra Le one, respectively, and developed country Members, 
WIPO and the WTO on 16 June 2008 to consider ho w their identified priority needs could best be 
met.  In addition to offering a platform to exchange  views, these meetings facilitated bilateral contacts 
to look at potential contributions by developed country  partners, as well as the further elaboration of 
Uganda's needs into bankable projects.  At an LDC Group meeting on 18 June, the Secretariat 
debriefed the LDC Group on the process, and Uganda  and Sierra Leone shared their experiences. 
Seminars, Workshops, Training Courses and other Technical Cooperation Activities  
 In Geneva 
6. 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 four regular Trade Policy Cour ses held in Geneva during the reporting period 
(42nd TPC for English-speaking countries from 17 September to 7 December 2007, 43rd and 44th TPC 
for English-speaking countries from 14 January to 4 April 2008, 45th TPC for Spanish-speaking 
countries from 21 April to 11 July 2008) also included a visit to WIPO, learning about that 
Organization, its conventions  and activities.  In addition, the S ecretariat organized a number of special 
study programmes for government officials. 
7. An important component of the activities carried  out in Geneva during the reporting period 
was the holding of the fifth joint WIPO-WTO Coll oquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property from 
Developing Countries from 30 June to 10 July 2008.  For the WTO, this formed part of the wider 
approach in the WTO Biennial Technical Assistance and Training Plan 2008-2009 towards 
cooperation with the academic community in develo ping countries aimed at local capacity building on 
WTO matters.  The main objectives of the Colloqui um were to update university teachers of 
intellectual property in developing countries on the activities and instruments of WIPO and the WTO, 
and to provide a forum for exchange of inform ation and ideas between the teachers and the two 
Secretariats on these matters.  Emphasis was put on recent developments and on policy issues under 
                                                      
2 Documents IP/C/W/500 and 510. 
3 Document IP/C/W/499.  IP/C/W/515 
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  debate in the two Organizations.  The Colloquium also provided an opportunity for an exchange of 
views on teaching methodologies and on the outsourcing of technical cooperation.  One week of the Colloquium took place at the WIPO Worldwide Academy and the other at the WTO.  University teachers from the following 19 developing countries and economies in transition participated in the 
event:  Algeria, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Colombia , Costa Rica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, 
Israel, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.  Three self-
funded participants came from Australia, Canada and France respectively.  In addition to speakers 
from the two Secretariats and from the WHO and th e UPOV, several Geneva-based delegates as well 
as representatives from industry and NGOs shared views on certain topical issues under discussion or negotiation.  Participating uni versity teachers also made presentations on selected topics.
4 
8. Another important element of the activities carri ed out in Geneva was the holding, of a third 
Workshop on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Hea lth from 3 to 5 December 2007.  It focused, in 
particular, on the use of the flexibilities in th e TRIPS Agreement and on the implementation and 
application of the system established under para graph 6 of the Doha D eclaration on the TRIPS 
Agreement and Public Health.5  This was a renewed effort to give capital-based practitioners from 
trade, IP and public health authorities a hands-on knowledge of TRIPS flexibilities.  Representatives 
from the WHO, WIPO, UNDP and the Global Fund, th e Geneva-based mission of Canada and an EC 
representative from Brussels and NGOs reported on th eir activities, experiences and views in relation 
to the implementation of TRIPS flexibilities, including the Paragraph 6 System.   
 Outside Geneva 
9. An important part of WTO technical cooperation in the field of intellectual property has been 
the organization of, or participation in, internati onal, regional and national seminars, workshops and 
other events outside Geneva.  The Annex to this  document lists the technical cooperation missions 
outside Geneva organized by, or involving, intellectual property staff.  
10. In accordance with the WTO Biennial Techni cal Assistance and Training Plan 2008-2009, 
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, biotechnology/traditional 
knowledge/biodiversity, and geographi cal indications were held this year, in cooperation with the host 
country:  in New Delhi, India, from 1 to 3 April 2008 for the Asia-Pacific Economies;  and Istanbul, Turkey, from 24 to 26 June for Central and Eastern European and Central Asian Countries.  The aim 
of the workshops was to provide information and an opportunity for an exchange of views among 
countries of the region that would facilitate their effe ctive participation in th e ongoing negotiations or 
discussions.  Another objective was to provide an improved understanding of the WTO and the 
TRIPS Agreement, including the flexibilities in that  Agreement and the Paragraph 6 System.  The 
programmes for these workshops provide for presentations by WTO staff members and representatives of WIPO and WHO as well as by two invited experts from Members that were participating or had participated in the discussions  or negotiations on the topical issues mentioned. 
11. Following up on workshops on the TRIPS Agreemen t and public health that were held in 
Mauritius in May-June 2006 and in Macao, China in  July 2007, as well as Geneva-based workshops 
of this type, the Secretariat organized a similar workshop for Latin American and Caribbean countries 
in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 to 19 September 2008.  The main purpose of this activity was to seek to 
give participants a "hands on" knowledge of the use of the flexibilities in the TRIPS Agreement and 
of the Paragraph 6 System, in par ticular through the provision of information and exercises pertaining 
to its implementation, and to provide a platform for the analysis of issues related to the legislative and 
                                                     
 
4 For the programme, go to http://www.wto.org/e nglish/tratop_e/trips_e/wipo_wto_colloquium 
_program08_e.pdf. 
5 General Council decisions of 30 August 2003  (WT/L/540) and 6 Decem ber 2005 (WT/L/641). IP/C/W/515 
Page 4  
 
  institutional framework at the domestic level.  Ca pital-based government officials from intellectual 
property, trade and public health departments in developing and least-developed countries and 
territories of the Latin American/Caribbean region, often with direct responsibility for matters relating 
to the interaction between the TRIPS Agreement and public health, participated in the activity.  In 
addition to speakers from the Secretariat, represen tatives from international organizations (WIPO, 
WHO, UNDP), representatives of NGOs, as well as  delegates from devel oped and developing WTO 
Members shared their experiences and views with participants. 
12. In addition, the WTO organized seven national se minars or workshops devoted to intellectual 
property matters, in cooperation with the host c ountry (Ethiopia on 10-11 October 2007, Chile on 30-
31 October 2007, Angola on 14-15 February 2008,  Singapore on 24-25 April 2008, Tunisia on 5-6 
June 2008, China on 10-11 June 2008, and the Cent ral African Republic on 7-11 July 2008).  The 
workshop in the Central African Republic include d a session aimed specifically at assisting in the 
assessment of priority needs for technical and fina ncial cooperation foreseen in the Decision of the 
Council for TRIPS of 29 November 2005.  WIPO sen t a speaker to the workshops in Ethiopia and 
Angola.   
13. One of the features of activities during the re cent years has been the increasing number of 
broader WTO events outside Geneva which have  included a significant TRIPS component.  The 
intellectual property staff contributed, in partners hip with universities, to two WTO regional Trade 
Policy Courses (Caribbean, Asia-Pacific) and co -organized, with other intergovernmental 
organizations, two WTO shorter Trade Policy Courses.  
 E-Training  
14. An important development of WTO technical c ooperation in the field of intellectual property 
has been the inclusion of a TRIPS module in the WTO e-Training courses. These are web-based 
courses for developing countries and economies in transition, which are either WTO Members or observers.  Participants have online access to cour se 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.  The TRIPS module was implemented for the first time at 
the Autumn 2007 session, which took place from 5 November to 14 December.  A revised version of the course was also implemented from 5 May to 27  June 2008.  136 participants completed the 
courses successfully. 
Cooperation with WIPO and other Intergovernmental Organizations
 
15. 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 cooperation6, and the WIPO-WTO Joint Initiative 
on Technical Cooperation for Least-Developed Countri es, launched in June 2001.  In response to 
paragraph 4 of the Decision on the Extension of the Transition Period for Least-Developed Country 
                                                      
6 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.  IP/C/W/515 
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  Members7, and based on the 1995 Cooperation Agre ement as well as the 2001 WIPO-WTO Joint 
Initiative, the two Organizations have further intens ified their cooperation.  The WTO Secretariat has 
also cooperated in the provision of technical cooperation in the area of TRIPS with other 
intergovernmental organizations. 
_______________ 
                                                      
7 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." IP/C/W/515 
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  ANNEX 
 
 
Technical Cooperation Missions in the TRIPS Area from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008
 
(Activities outside Geneva.  For Geneva-b ased events, see paragraphs 6 to 8 above) 
 
 
Date Place Mission 
10-11 October 2007 Addis Ababa, 
Ethiopia WTO National Workshop on TRIPS and Public 
Health 
22-23 October 2007 Algiers, Algeria UNOP Conference on public health 
30-31 October 2007 Santiago, Chile WTO National Workshop on the TRIPS 
Agreement and Public Health 
31 October 2007 Dar es Salaam, 
Tanzania 5th WTO/ADB/ECA Trade Policy Course 
28 January 2008 Kuala Lumpur, 
Malaysia  IsDB Trade Policy Course 
30 January -7 February 
2008 Bangkok, Thailand WHO Mission on TRIPS Flexibilities 
14-15 February 2008 Luanda, Angola WTO National Workshop on Intellectual Property 
and Competition Policy  
25-27 March 2008  Kingston, Jamaica WTO Trade Policy Course for the Caribbean 
Countries 
1-3 April 2008 New Delhi, India WTO Regional Workshop on Certain Topical 
Issues in regard to Intellectual Property for Asia-Pacific Economies 
22-23 April 2008 Singapore WTO Trade Policy Course for Asia-Pacific 
Economies 
22-23 April 2008 Antalya, Turkey Interna tional Seminar on "produits de terroirs" 
24-25 April 2008 Singapore WTO National Seminar on the TRIPS Agreement  5-6 June 2008 Tunis, Tunisia WTO National Workshop on the Protection of 
Geographical Indications 
10-11 June 2008 Beijing, China WT O National Workshop on the TRIPS 
Agreement and Public Health  IP/C/W/515 
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  Date Place Mission 
24-26 June 2008 Istanbul, Turkey WTO Regional Workshop on Certain Topical 
Issues in Regard to Intellectual Property for Central and Eastern European and Central Asian Countries 
7-11 July 2008 Bangui, Central 
African Republic WTO National Seminar on Trade and Public 
Health 
17-19 September 2008 Quito, Ecuador WTO Re gional Workshop on Certain Topical 
Issues in Regard to Intellectual Property for Latin American and Caribbean Countries  
 
 
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