The signing of accreditation agreements for three new research centers took place during the closing ceremony of the OAPI regional workshop on the development of seed.
The director general of OAPI, Denis BOHOUSSOU, has initialled the relevant paperwork with the leaders of each of the following three centers:
- the CNRA in Côte d’Ivoire
- INERA in Burkina Faso
- ISRA in Senegal
These three research institutions are now approved as centers of technical examination known as the “DUS examination” centers. Such accreditation is a necessary step for acquiring OAPI protection for newly researched plant varieties, following the establishment of the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) in Cameroon. This is in accordance with OAPI’s objective to support and empower agricultural research organizations to enable them to scientifically determine high-quality seed that can support agricultural development using science whilst protecting the environment.
