SADC Empowers Regional Stakeholders with Intellectual Property Rights Training to Boost Value Chains
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is witnessing a unified push to strengthen its regional value chains through heightened awareness and capacity building in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Spearheaded by the SADC’s Joint Action “Support towards Industrialisation and the Productive Sectors” (SIPS) program, this initiative aims to enhance understanding and utilization of IPR to drive innovation and foster sustainable development.
IPR, as defined by the World Trade Organisation, bestows creators with exclusive rights over their intellectual creations, facilitating innovation and safeguarding against infringement. Recognizing the pivotal role of IPR in shaping value chains, the SIPS program has integrated IPR technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives into its activities.
Recently, the SIPS program extended its support to 25 regional private sector stakeholders across various value chains including leather, Antiretroviral (ARV) manufacturers, and COVID-19 medical products. Through tailored technical assistance, stakeholders received guidance on navigating the complexities of IPR during product development processes.
In a significant move towards knowledge dissemination, the SADC Secretariat organized a comprehensive training program on IPR. Held from the 5th to the 15th of October 2022 in Harare, Zimbabwe, the training drew officials, policymakers, and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the leather and ARV value chains.
Participants delved into critical aspects of IPR policies, regulations, and compliance, equipping them with the necessary tools to engage in policy debates and ensure adherence to regional and national IPR frameworks.
Further reinforcing their commitment, the SIPS program provided specialized IPR capacity-building sessions, notably to the Zambia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Initiative (ZPMI). Collaborating with the European Union Delegation to Zambia and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the training, held on October 9th in Zambia, aimed to enhance understanding and compliance with IPR policies and regulations.
Targeting IP officials, policymakers, and industry leaders, the session fostered a deeper appreciation of IPR’s significance in the pharmaceutical sector and its impact on regional value chains.
Supported by co-funding from the European Union and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the SIPS program, under the auspices of the SADC Secretariat, continues to champion initiatives aimed at harnessing the transformative power of Intellectual Property Rights.
Additional source: SADC Secretariat
