By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
Uganda and Malawi have
reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in intellectual
property administration, business registration and institutional capacity
development during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 68th World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland.
The meeting brought together
Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, and
Malawi’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Charles Mhango,
to discuss opportunities for deeper collaboration in building stronger
intellectual property and business registration systems.
During the engagement, Mao
highlighted the role of the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) in
supporting knowledge exchange and capacity building initiatives with Malawi,
including a benchmarking visit that contributed to the development of Malawi’s
Companies and Intellectual Property Registration System (CIPRS).
The initiative was cited as
an example of African-led cooperation and South-South knowledge sharing aimed
at strengthening institutional capabilities and improving service delivery in
intellectual property and business registration.
Both countries reaffirmed
their commitment to advancing innovation, improving intellectual property
frameworks and promoting a stronger African presence within international
intellectual property platforms, including WIPO and the African Regional
Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).
Uganda’s delegation at the
meeting included Uganda’s Ambassador to Switzerland, H.E. Marcel Robert
Tibaleka, alongside URSB representatives Mustapher Ntale and James Lubwama.
