Uganda ratifies the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has issued a notification that the Government of the Republic of Uganda has deposited its instrument of ratification of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRATK). The GRATK Treaty was adopted in Geneva on 24 May 2024. It establishes a mandatory patent disclosure requirement in terms of which patent applicants are required to disclose the country of origin of the genetic resources and/or the indigenous peoples or local community providing the associated traditional knowledge in the case of a claimed invention being based on genetic resources and/or associated traditional knowledge.

The date of entry into force of the Treaty will be notified when the required number of ratifications and/or accessions of the Treaty is reached. Fifteen eligible parties are required to ratify or accede to the Treaty in order for it to come into force.

According to information published by WIPO, forty-five countries have signed the Treaty, including a number of countries in Africa. These include Algeria, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Ecuador, Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Uganda is indicated as being the second country to ratify the Treaty, the other country which has ratified the treaty being Malawi.