THE 9TH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE AFRICAN REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION (ARIPO)

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 


AIDE-MEMOIRE

 

1.                  The Council of Ministers of the Member States of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization (ARIPO) will hold its 9th session at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Dar es Salaam from the 12th – 13th August 2004.

 

2.                  The Council of Ministers is the highest organ of the African Regional Industrial Property Organization which was established following the conclusion of the Agreement in Lusaka, Republic of Zambia in 1976.

 

3.                  ARIPO has 16 members so far, which include Botswana, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra-Leone, Somalia, Swaziland, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  More members are expected to join the organization.

 

4.                  This is the first time that the Council of Ministers session is held in the United Republic of Tanzania, although the United Republic of Tanzania is one of the founder members of ARIPO.

 

5.                  The objectives of ARIPO include:

 

(i)                 to promote the harmonization and development of the industrial property laws and matters related thereto, appropriate to the needs of its members and of the region as whole,

 

(ii)               to foster the establishment of a close relationship between its members in matters relating to industrial property.

 

(iii)             To establish such common services or organs as may be necessary or desirable for the coordination, harmonizing and development of the industrial property activities affecting its members.

 

(iv)              To establish schemes for training of staff in the administration of industrial property laws,

 

(v)                To organize conferences, seminars and other meetings on industrial property matters

 

(vi)              To promote exchange of ideas and experiences, research and studies relating to industrial property matters.

 

(vii)            To promote and evolve a common view and approach of its members on industrial property matters.

 

(viii)          To assist its members, as appropriate, in acquisition and development of technology relating to industrial property matters and

 

(ix)              To do all such other things as may be necessary or desirable for the achievement of the above objectives.

 

6.                  To achieve the above objectives, ARIPO administers two Protocols namely the Harare and Banjul Protocols for respectively, Patents and Trade Marks.

 

7.                  The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and ARIPO will jointly organize a High-Level Round Table on Intellectual Property and Public Policy Issues to be held concurrently with the Ninth Session of the Council of Ministers on August 13, 2004.

 

The objective of the High-Level Round Table is to provide a suitable forum for Ministers to exchange views on public policy issues such as intellectual property and public health, access to medicine and piracy.

 

8.                  The session will be opened by His Excellency Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, Vice-President of the United Republic of Tanzania on the 12th August, 2004.

 

9.                  The session is expected to be closed on the 13th August, 2004.

 

For more information please contact:

The Chief Executive Officer,

Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA)

P.O. Box 9393

Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Tel:  +255 22 2180113

Hotline: +255-748-258482

Email: usajili@interafrica.com

Website: www.brela-tz.org