The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the specialized Agencies of the United Nation, which was created in 1967 to promote and protect intellectual property across the world by cooperating with countries as well as international organizations. The Organisation works to encourage creative activity and promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world. WIPO is also a forum for discussions on improving or introducing new laws related to copyright issues. With its Headquarters in Geneva, the organisation does also have offices in Algeria, Brazil, China, Nigeria, Singapore, Japan and Russia.
As among 193 Member States of the WIPO (since 1983), Tanzania is a party to various WIPO conventions, such as the Paris Convention; the Berne Convention; the Patent Cooperation Treaty; the Nice Agreement; the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV); and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise with Print Disabilities.
The WIPO administers 26 treaties including the WIPO Convention. These treaties are divided into three groups: the Standard IP Protection treaties, which define internationally agreed basic standards of intellectual property protection in each country; the Global Protection System treaties, which ensure that one international registration or filing will have effect in any of the relevant signatory States; and the Classification Systems treaties, which organise information concerning inventions, trademarks and industrial designs into indexed, manageable structures for easy retrieval.
The WIPO Convention establishes three main organs: the WOPO General Assembly, the WIPO Coordination Committee, and the WIPO Conference. The WIPO General Assembly is composed of the Member States of WIPO which are also members of the Unions (Paris Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, or the Berne Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Work). It is the highest decision-making body of the WIPO, whose functions include, inter alia: the appointment of the Director General upon nomination by the Coordination Committee, review and approval of the reports of the Director General and the reports and activities of the Coordination Committee, adoption of the biennial budget common to the Unions, and adoption of the financial regulations of the Organization. The WIPO Conference is composed of the States party to the WIPO Convention. It is, inter alia, the competent body for adopting amendments to the Convention.
The WIPO Coordination Committee is composed of members elected from among the members of the Executive Committee of the Paris Union and the Executive Committee of the Berne Union. Its main functions are to give advice to the organs of the Unions, the General Assembly, the Conference, and to the Director General, on all administrative and financial matters of interest to these bodies. It also prepares the draft agenda of the General Assembly and the draft agenda of the Conference. Where appropriate, the Coordination Committee nominates a candidate for the post of Director General for appointment by the General Assembly. During the 64th Assemblies of Member States of WIPO, Tanzania was elected to serve as a member of the WIPO Coordination Committee for 2024/2025.
Any of the Governing Bodies can constitute committees as required. For example, the WIPO General Assembly constituted the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), which undertook negotiations to finalize an agreement on an international legal instrument(s) for the protection of traditional knowledge (TK), traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) and genetic resources (GRs). The General Assembly may also establish ad hoc (standing committees) for a give purpose, such as determining the need or otherwise for new treaty provisions. Where a Standing or Permanent Committee determines that sufficient progress has been made to move towards treaty adoption, the General Assembly can decide to convene a Diplomatic Conference, which is a high level meeting of member states, convened with the sole purpose of finalizing negotiations on a new treaty.
Through WIPO, Tanzania has received support in various areas, ranging from capacity building programs; technical support of goods and services; and support to SMEs.
WIPO has supported Tanzania with the Industrial Property Automated System [IPAS] at the IP Offices in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, and WIPOCOS (WIPO Connect System) for Copyrights Office in Tanzania Mainland for processing of applications and act as source of information for IP data. Furthermore, WIPO has supported the formulation of Intellectual Property Policy for Zanzibar and provided technical advice on the formulation of National Intellectual Property Policy for Tanzania Mainland.
WIPO provides training (for young innovators and women entrepreneurs) and capacity building through WIPO Academy; and supports Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) Project through the Commission for Science and Technology. WIPO also provides access to distance learning platform as a starting point for Masters of IP students at the University of Dar es Salaam and continues to undertake a program for strengthening the judicial system and services for Intellectual Property protection in Tanzania.
On 23 May, 2024, Tanzania joined other WIPO Members in signing the historic new Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge.
