U 17 to 20 March 2025, the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) took part in an important international meeting aimed at strengthening the protection of original appellations and geographic indications.
The sixth session of the working group on the legal development of the Lisbon system was held at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (OMPI) in Geneva, Switzerland. This strategic meeting brought together the delegations of the contracting parties to develop the international legal framework protecting the names of origin and the geographic indications.
Significant advances for the Lisbon system
The work has led to several proposals for resolutions which will be subject to the General Assembly of the Contracting Parties. These proposals aim to optimize the Lisbon system through:
• The adoption of a particular regulation for the operation of the working group, aligned with the general OMPI procedural rules
• substantial modifications to the execution regulations common to the arrangement of Lisbon and the act of Geneva
• The creation of an office of the working group operating on a transitional basis
Digital training and modernization
In addition to plenary sessions, the program included:
• An in -depth training session on recent developments in the system, intended for representatives of the Contracting Parties
• A round table devoted to the new “Elisbon” digital platform, developed to optimize the management of the international registry of names of origin and geographic indications
OAPI representation
The African Intellectual Property Organization was represented by Mr. Michel Gonomy, Head of the Service of Geographical Indications, Industrial Drawings and Models and other distinctive signs in the Brands Department and other distinctive signs (DMSD). This participation is part of the continuity of OAPI's commitment to the Lisbon system, the organization being a member of the Geneva Act of Lisbon's arrangement since December 15, 2022.
About the Lisbon system
The Lisbon system offers international protection to the names of origin and geographic indications by a single registration with the OMPI. This mechanism makes it possible to preserve the authenticity of products whose quality is essentially linked to their geographic origin, thus supporting local economic development and the preservation of traditional know-how.
