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Law and human rights minister meets WIPO Chief, signs key treaty
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(Courtesy of Law and Human Rights Ministry)
I
ndonesian Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly held a bilateral meeting with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang. The meeting not only strengthened ties between Indonesia and WIPO but also marked the signing of the WIPO Treaty on Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge (GRATK).
The meeting aimed to reinforce the Indonesian government's commitment to adopting the WIPO Treaty on GRATK and aligning national intellectual property (IP) regulations through patent law revisions. Additionally, it discussed developing an IP Academy in Indonesia and capacity-building programs for Directorate General of Intellectual Property staff.
WIPO Director General Daren Tang pledged support for the treaty's implementation, emphasizing its benefits for Indonesia and its positive contribution to global IP management.
“Indonesia will be the pilot country where WIPO will send staff for on-the-job (OJT) training,” Tang said in Geneva on July 8, 2024.
Minister Yasonna H. Laoly stated that signing the WIPO Treaty on GRATK is a strategic move for Indonesia to protect genetic resources and traditional knowledge, enhancing Indonesia’s international standing.
The treaty aims to improve the effectiveness, transparency and quality of the patent system related to genetic resources and traditional knowledge. It also seeks to prevent erroneous patent grants for non-novel or non-innovative discoveries related to genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
Key issues discussed included Indonesia’s commitment to adopting the WIPO Treaty on GRATK and aligning national laws through patent law revisions to protect genetic resources and traditional knowledge, developing an IP academy in Indonesia as a center of excellence for IP training and development and enhancing Directorate General of Intellectual Property staff competencies through expanded participation in the Madrid and PCT Fellowship Programs. It also covered intellectual property development, including the application for International Depositary Authority (IDA) recognition under the Budapest Treaty by the Indonesian Culture Collection (InaCC-BRI).
“The signing of the WIPO Treaty on GRATK will positively impact the Directorate General of Intellectual Property and the broader Indonesian community. Enhanced Directorate General of Intellectual Property staff capacity will improve public service efficiency and effectiveness in intellectual property, particularly for continued OJT programs in trademarks and patents at WIPO,” Laoly explained.
Minister Yasonna H. Laoly and the Indonesian delegation visited Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the 65th WIPO General Assembly from July 9 to 17, 2024.
WIPO, a United Nations agency, provides services, policies, information and cooperation in IP to 193 member countries. Indonesia signed the WIPO Convention in 1968 and became an official member in 1979 through Presidential Decree No. 24/1979, ratifying the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and the WIPO Convention.
