Vietnamese delegation at the event (Photo: VNA) Geneva (VNA) – The World IntellectualProperty Organisation (WIPO) General Assembly opened its 59th session inGeneva, Switzerland, on September 30, drawing over 1,000 delegates from 191member countries.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Chu NgocAnh, Minister of Science and Technology.
Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnam’spermanent mission in Geneva chaired the event. This is the second year Dung hasbeen honoured to take the presidency of the WIPO General Assembly.
On behalf of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN), Minister Chu Ngoc Anh spoke at the opening ceremony.
He said the bloc’s economy is projected toexpand at 4.9 percent in 2019 despite the sluggish global economic growth andincreasing protectionism.
The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) intothe region rose 5.3 percent to reach 154.7 billion USD in 2018, Anh added.
ASEAN is stepping up the implementation ofinnovation initiatives to catch up with the fourth industrial revolution(Industry 4.0), Anh said.
To support innovation, ASEAN is implementing anaction plan on intellectual property in 2016-2025 and has gained remarkableoutcomes, he added.
According to the Minister, ASEAN’s intellectualproperty system is deeply integrated with the world’s, manifested by theparticipation in some international treaties administered by WIPO.
At this year’s meeting, Vietnam submitted adocument to join the Hague agreement concerning the international registrationof industrial designs.
Anh also underlined the role of science,technology and innovation in changing growth model and escaping from themiddle-income trap for developing countries, including Vietnam.
Recognising the importance of innovation, theVietnamese Government has promulgated many policies and measures to increaseVietnam’s global innovation index (GII), he said.
As a result, Vietnam’s GII has increasedsteadily in recent years, leaping three places to the 42nd position in 2018, headded.
In August 2019, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucissued a decision approving the national intellectual property strategy through2030. Previously in June, the National Assembly passed the law on insurancebusiness and law on intellectual property, according to the Minister.
On the sidelines of the 59th session of theWIPO General Assembly, Minister Chu Ngoc Anh had a working session with WIPODirector General Francis Gurry.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, the Ministerpresented Vietnam’s document to join the Hague agreement to the WIPO DirectorGeneral.
With this participation, Vietnam is now a memberof all three treaties on international registration for inventions, trademarksand designs administered by WIPO, he said.
Anh also informed about major policies of theVietnamese Party and State on science, technology, innovation and intellectualproperty.
The same day, the Vietnam Academy of Science andTechnology and the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam signed acooperation agreement on GII and another on intellectual property environmentwith WIPO.
The 59th session of the WIPO General Assemblywill wrap up on October 9./.
VNA
