The Director General of ARIPO, Bemanya Twebaze, met with key government stakeholders during his visit to Cape Verde in April 2023. Aside from the Prime Minister, he also engaged with H.E Alexandre Dias Monteiro (Minister of Industry, Trade & Energy), H.E Dr. Rui Alberto Figueiredo Soares (the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation & Regional Integration), H.E. Adalgisa Barbosa Vaz (the Secretary of State for Business Development and the Secretary of State for Digital Economy), H.E. Pedro Lopes from the Ministry of Finance and H.E Abraão Vicente (the Minister of Culture and Creative Industries).
Prime Minister of Cape Verde to consider ratifying fifth and final ARIPO Protocol
The ARIPO Director General, Bemanya Twebaze met with Cape Verde’s Prime Minister, His Excellency (H.E.) Jose Ulisses de Pina Correira e Silva on 13 April 2023. The main purpose of the visit was to discuss Cape Verde’s socio-economic landscape, and how intellectual property and the protection thereof, can be used to achieve national goals and growth across all sectors of the economy, for example by way of increasing competitiveness of local products.
At this stage, Cape Verde has ratified the following ARIPO Protocols: the Banjul Protocol on Marks, the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs, the Swakopmund Protocol for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore, as well as the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. The visit was arranged to show appreciation for Cape Verde’s confidence in the work being done by ARIPO and also to open the conversation relating to the Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and related rights, which Cape Verde has not yet ratified. This was an opportunity for the Director General to enquire about the country’s strategy concerning the protection of copyright going forward and the economy relating to the arts and crafts industry. By becoming an ARIPO member state, Cape Verde enjoys access to technical expertise and training, as well as the digitisation of IP systems developed at regional level.
The Director General assured the Cape Verde leadership that it is committed to support the country in promoting a balanced IP protection system and developing cultural industries. The Director General also reiterated the fact that ARIPO, as an intergovernmental organisation, focused specifically on the Intellectual Property in Africa, is uniquely placed to be part of shaping regional IP policies and practices and assisting its members in this regard.
