Indigenous Peoples Representatives converge in PH for Workshop on Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge, and Traditional Cultural Expressions
| 25 November 2017 |
Indigenous peoples from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand and the Philippines visited the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines in Taguig City, Philippines. With them are IPOPHL Director General Josephine R. Santiago (seated, in beige-colored coat), WIPO Senior Counsellor of TK Division, Ms. Begoña Venero (seated, right of DG), and Director Carmen G. Peralta (seated, leftmost).
23 November 2017 - Intellectual Property is for everybody. This was illuminated by Ms. Begoña Venero of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) during her talk at the Practical Workshop on Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge, and Traditional Cultural Expressions (IP & GRTKCE). She said “Intellectual Property is not just about generating benefits for big transnational corporations. IP is about bringing benefits to everybody, including indigenous peoples and local communities,”
Director General Josephine R. Santiago of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) lauded this initiative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She said that this opportunity to gather indigenous peoples to discuss and share insights on protecting their creations, genetic resource, traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, is a milestone in IPOPHL’s effort to engage every sector, relevant agencies, institutions, and local and international organizations in the discussions on the benefits of protecting and utilizing intellectual property. She further noted that it may be an uphill climb for developing countries like the Philippines to bring the IP rights of indigenous peoples in the mainstream IP system, but she stressed that “at least the work has began”. The workshop, which was organized by WIPO in partnership with IPOPHL. was the first in Asia. Similar workshops were previously held in Africa and Latin America.
Participated in by indigenous peoples from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and the Philippine, the four-day workshop was held from November 20 to 23, 2017 in Makati, Philippines.