TRIPS technical cooperation

WTO technical assistance on the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)

The main objective of the WTO's TRIPS-related technical assistance activities is to help members and observers implement an intellectual property (IP) regime that meets their developmental and other policy objectives in line with their domestic circumstances and priority needs.

TRIPS and IP-related technical assistance activities aim to take a holistic approach in line with the reality that policy choices within the TRIPS framework are integral to a broader policy context. Activities routinely incorporate expertise from other domains, such as government procurement and competition policy.

Geneva-based workshops, symposia and training on IP

The WTO, in collaboration with other international organizations, regularly holds events on intellectual property, trade and other related subjects. Some are part of the advanced training that the WTO offers to officials, policymakers and academics. Others are available to a wider audience, in which experts share their latest thinking on topics such as public health.

Regional and national training activities

The WTO organizes regional workshops for government officials and other stakeholders. This is regularly done in collaboration with other international organizations. Regional activities, in particular, have focused on the linkages among policy areas, such as health, trade and IP.

The WTO also provides national workshop on topics determined by the host country. WTO members eligible for trade-related technical assistance can submit requests for national activities.

Online

The WTO offers four courses related to TRIPS on its e-Learning platform: Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, a Short Trip through TRIPS, Copyright in the WTO and Patents in the WTO.

The WHO-WIPO-WTO online course Promoting Access to Medical Technologies and Innovation is available at the WIPO eLearning Center . Registration for this course, offered intermittently throughout the year, is available one month prior to the course start date: check here to find out whether registration is open.

WIPO-WTO cooperation

The WIPO-WTO Cooperation Agreement, and two subsequent joint initiatives, form the basis for joint cooperation in IP-related technical assistance, including training activities, publications and transparency tools.

Developed country technical assistance on TRIPS

Technical cooperation reports

Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement requires developed country members to provide, on request and on mutually agreed terms and conditions, technical and financial cooperation in favour of developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). They have agreed to annually provide descriptions of their TRIPS and IP-related technical and financial cooperation programmes.

Intergovernmental organizations, including the WTO, are also invited to update members on their IP-related training activities. Those reports are introduced and reviewed at the TRIPS Council's end of year meeting.

Technical cooperation contact points

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WTO TRIPS training resources