Workplan 2025

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
Component II: Capacity building
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
9 Training on patent drafting for ARIPO Member States
15 Promotion and integration into EUIPN Tools
17 Support to the digitalisation of the Mauritius IP Office (IPOM)
20 Online Copyright workshop on online infringements and resale rights
44 Exchange of anti-counterfeiting best practices for Portuguese-speaking African Countries in Angola
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 to IP Academic Masters Programmes
Component IV: Geographical Indications
26 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in ARIPO Member States
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 GI for Kilichi du Niger
33 Support the registration at the regional level of Spiruline from Chad (Dihé)
35 Support to pilot GIs in Ghana
36 Support to pilot GIs in Mozambique
37 Support to pilot GIs in Seychelles
41 ARIPO communication programme for national IP offices and media
42 Technical Support for the development of the institutional framework for GIs in OAPI countries