Workplan 2024

AfrIPI has four main objectives:

  • Promotion of Intellectual Property international agreements for a reinforced cooperation between EU and Africa;
  • Strengthening of national and regional Intellectual Property institutions, networks, and tools, to increase a user- friendly and efficient protected IP system;
  • Raising awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (including Geographical Indications) in the African society for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (SMEs);
  • Implementation of the work plan activities linked to the African Union (AU) Continental Strategy for Geographical Indications.

To achieve these results, the overall work plan sets a multiannual framework in terms of thematic and geographic priorities, complemented by plans to be developed each year containing detailed activities.

As a Pan-African Action targeting many countries and sub-regions, a geographical balance for activity implementation is sought. Activities are identified each year in close coordination with stakeholders, particularly AU Member States, ARIPO, OAPI, National IP Offices, the private sector and other organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) and the African Union Commission (AUC).

No. Description Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Component I: International Agreements
1 Legal and technical assistance for the AfCFTA Secretariat for the phase II IPR negotiations
2 Experts Dialogue on overlapping trade and IP agreements within the framework of the implementation of the AfCFTA
3 Technical support for accession to international IP treaties
Component II: Capacity building
4 Technical support for the reference collections for the Accredited Research and Examination Centres on Plant Varieties in OAPI countries
5 Exchange on best practices regarding reference collections, and training database management tools for the Accredited Research and Examination Centres on Plant Varieties in OAPI countries
6 Support for the network of OAPI judges – 4th conference
7 Capacity-building for OAPI trade marks and industrial design examiners on substantive examination
8 Training on IPR enforcement for ARIPO Member States
9 Training on patent drafting for ARIPO Member States
11 Technical training on trade marks for examiners, and engagements with IP agents of ARIPO Member States
12 ‘Women in IP’ conference for ARIPO Member States
13 Consultative roundtable on IPR enforcement / anti-counterfeiting for North African countries
14 Trade mark and design guidelines of the Egyptian TIDO: revision and technical working groups
15 Promotion and integration into EUIPN IT tools
16 Support for the digitalisation of the Nigerian IP office
17 Support for the digitalisation of the Industrial Property Office of Mauritius (IPOM)
18 Support for IPOs in digitalising and improving the quality of data
19 Study visit by OAPI IT officers to the EUIPO
20 Copyright workshop on online infringements and resale rights
Component III: SME's and IP
21 Africa IP SME Helpdesk
22 Support the development of a mentoring program to support OAPI members states SMES
23 Support for IP Academic Masters Programmes
Component IV: Geographical Indications
24 Evaluation and support for the AU Continental Strategy for GIs
25 International colloquium and trade fair on GIs in Africa
26 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in ARIPO Member States
27 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in Nigeria
28 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in Ethiopia
29 Support the registration at the regional level of Ylang Ylang of Comoros
30 Support the registration at the regional level of Pierre de Mbigou of Gabon
31 Support the registration at the regional level of Poutargue Imraguen of Mauritania
32 Support the registration at EU level of the GI for Kilichi du Niger
33 Support the registration at the regional level of Spirulina from Chad (Dihé)
34 Support the registration of pilot GIs in Mauritius
35 Support the registration of pilot GI in Ghana
36 Support the registration of pilot GI in Mozambique
37 Support the registration of pilot GI in Seychelles
38 AFRICA-GI training on geographical indications
39 Awareness-raising on geographical indications
40 Awareness-raising on IP: World IP Day 2024
41 ARIPO communication programme for national IP offices and media