Workplan 2023

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 Regional workshop on accession to the ARIPO International Protocols
2 Legal and technical assistance for AfCFTA Secretariat for the phase II negotiations on IP Rights
3 Legal and technical assistance for the RECs for the phase II negotiations on IPR
Component II: Capacity building
4 Judges Colloquium on enforcement
5 Consultative roundtable on enforcement of IPR for North African countries
6 Support for the ARIPO patent examination training (ARPET)
7 National training on patents, patent searches and patent drafting for ARIPO MS
8 Support for the OAPI training program for trade marks and design examiners and IP representatives on substantive examination
9 Support for the creation and implementation of a database of judges in OAPI Member States
10 Integration and implementation of IP tools
11 Support for the digitalisation of Nigeria IP office: ‘capture and store’ of trade marks paper files
12 Technical support on the reference collections for the accredited research and examination centres on plant varieties in OAPI countries
13 Trade mark and Design Guidelines of Egyptian TIDO: revision and Technical Working Group participation
14 Capacity building on IP right recordation for selected enforcement agencies in Kenya – Phase 2: study visit to Mauritius
15 Support for the Setup and Strengthening of Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) in OAPI member states
17 Study Visit of Heads of IP Offices from ARIPO Member States
Component III: SME's and IP
18 Africa IP SME Helpdesk
19 Support for the setup of innovation platforms in OAPI pilot countries
20 Expert support for the OAPI Master’s training programme
21 Expert support for the ARIPO Master’s training programme
22 Promotional workshop on Designs and Utility Models for ARIPO
23 Communications training on the ARIPO Regional Intellectual Property Rights System
Component IV: Geographical Indications
24 Technical Support for the development of the institutional framework for GIs in OAPI countries
25 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in ARIPO Member States
26 Technical support for the development of the legal framework for GIs in other countries
27 Support the registration at the National Level of GIs for OAPI countries
28 Support the registration at EU level of GIs for Kilichi du Niger
29 Screening processes in OAPI countries – Chad
30 Side event on GIs in Africa at the AU-EU Agricultural Ministerial Conference
31 Maintenance and the future of the GI Hub
32 Support the registration of pilot GIs in the ARIPO region