ARISE+ IPR successfully hosted the 6th sub-PSC Meeting and Conference on Regional Intellectual Property Systems
On 15 March 2023, ARISE+ IPR hosted the 6th sub-Project Steering Committee (sub-PSC) Meeting and Conference on Regional Intellectual Property Systems in Bohol, the Philippines, as part of the 69th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC), which took place on 14-17 March, 2023.
The 6th sub-PSC meeting focused on reviewing the ARISE+ IPR’s implementation progress and the activities since the last meeting in December 2022. There was a discussion about the status of the project's implementation over the last 5 years and the way forward for the project. The ASEAN Member States congratulated the ARISE+ IPR project management team on the key achievements obtained during the last 5 years and expressed their thanks for ARISE+ IPR’s support in implementing the initiatives under the ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2016-2025.
Meanwhile, the Conference on Regional Intellectual Property Systems aimed at further discussing the conclusions and recommendations laid out in the ASEAN Trade Mark Registration System feasibility study, which was completed under ARISE+ IPR Annual Work Plan 2.
The conference provided a platform to share knowledge and best practices with the regional IP offices in order to better envision the commitment and benefits of having such a system work within ASEAN. Participants in the conference were heads of ASEAN IP offices, the chair of AWGIPC, representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), and representatives from all the regional systems, including the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP), the African Regional Intellectual Property Office (ARIPO), and the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI).
The conference discussed various topics, including the key findings of the feasibility study on the establishment of an ASEAN Regional Trade Mark Registration System, followed by round-table discussions on ‘The Way Forward for ASEAN, Regional Trade Marks and Beyond'. The conference provided an opportunity for participants to exchange best practices, experiences, and insights on how to develop and implement effective IP systems that can support economic growth and innovation.
The successful hosting of these two meetings highlights the commitment of ARISE+ IPR to promoting intellectual property cooperation and capacity-building in the ASEAN region. ARISE+ IPR is a European Union-funded project that aims to support ASEAN Member States in enhancing their IP systems and promoting IP cooperation within the region.