Led by H.E. Ms. Carole Lanteri, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the United Nations Office at Geneva, a Monegasque delegation participated in the 64th series of meetings of the Member States Assemblies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) from July 6 to 14, 2023. The delegation also included Mr. Gilles Realini, Advisor, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Santos, Head of the Industrial Property Division at the Directorate of Economic Development.
These annual assemblies present an opportunity for the 193 member states of WIPO to discuss the future of the global intellectual property ecosystem and the Organization's role in promoting economic, social, and cultural development in all countries. Key decisions were made on the major directions of WIPO's work, the systems it administers (registration of international patent applications, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications, etc.), and its normative committees. The work program and budget for 2024-2025 were adopted, forecasting revenues of 972.6 million Swiss Francs. This figure confirms the continued growth in the use of intellectual property globally, which remained undeterred despite the pandemic and geopolitical context.
The Assemblies also expressed a desire for WIPO to continue its cooperation and provision of technical assistance to Ukraine, to assess the impact of the war on the innovation and creativity sector in the country, and to support its reconstruction. The Monegasque delegation was actively involved in the intense negotiations that led to this decision.
Furthermore, on the margins of these Assemblies, the Monegasque delegation held discussions with several WIPO Secretariat representatives. The meetings served to evaluate the initial implementation of the agreement signed between the Principality and the organization in November 2022, during the visit of Mr. Daren Tang, WIPO's Director General, to Monaco. They also discussed potential future activities under this cooperation agreement.
WIPO, a specialized agency of the United Nations, is responsible for the development of international standards in the field of intellectual property. It also manages international systems for the registration of intellectual property rights, such as patents and trademarks.