Technical Assistance
In 1994, the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) established enforceable global minimum standards for most intellectual property rights (IPRs). Article 67 of TRIPS requires developed country Members to provide technical and financial cooperation to developing and least-developed country Members.
The United Kingdom Government’s response to the Report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights confirmed the need to tailor IPR regimes to individual country's circumstances within the TRIPS framework. The Government is also committed to helping developing countries to create effective intellectual property systems that are appropriate to their needs.
The White Paper Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor pointed to the need for intellectual property regimes to work better for poor people.
The G8 IPR experts group have agreed that technical assistance plans are needed to help developing countries strengthen their efforts to combat trade in pirated and counterfeit goods.
In developing our technical assistance programme we are taking account of a number of international programmes and resources:
- WIPO 's Cooperation for Development Program;
- World Health Organization - Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health;
- Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Assistance to Least Developed Countries;
- Recent research reports from the World Bank, Intellectual Property and Development and, Poor People's Knowledge;
- The World Trade Organization / Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Trade Capacity Building Database;
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) are implementing a capacity building project on intellectual property rights and sustainable development;
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe IP Advisory Group
