Geneva, July 9, 2025 – On the sidelines of the 66th Annual Meeting of Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) marked a significant day for international cooperation. Director General Denis Bohoussou held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with several key partners.
Enhanced collaboration with China
The day began with a meeting with Commissioner Shen Shangyu, head of the delegation from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed to strengthen cooperation in skills development and the promotion of traditional medicine. Both parties welcomed the growth in Chinese trademark and patent applications within the OAPI region and expressed their hope that this momentum would continue.
The European Union, a strategic partner
The Director General then met with Joao Negrao, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The discussions highlighted the results of the African Intellectual Property Rights (AfriPI) project, funded by the European Union (EU).
Notable achievements of this partnership include:
- Registration of new Geographical Indications (GIs) and support for GI registration in the EU
- The integration of OAPI into the TMview and DESIGNview databases to facilitate searches for users
- The prospect of a second phase of the AfriPI project
INTA: concrete support for SMEs and training
Cooperation with the International Trademark Association (INTA), represented by Etienne Sanz de Acedo, was also welcomed. The joint work plan has enabled:
- Technical seminars on brand classification
- OAPI's participation in the 147th INTA Annual Meeting in San Diego
- Support for SMEs through the PRO BONO program
INTA will also participate in the 5th edition of the OAPI Brand Awards, scheduled to take place in Libreville next October, as well as in a discussion on the sidelines of the OAPI Board of Directors meeting, focusing on the impact of intellectual property on economic and entrepreneurial development. A potential collaboration on its recently launched online case law database, "OAPILEX ," was also discussed.
The OEAB and the OAPI: a Eurasian-African dynamic
The day concluded with a meeting between Grigory Ivliev, President of the Eurasian Patent Organisation (EPO). Both institutions welcomed the implementation of their joint work plan, particularly regarding the training of patent examiners. Having mentioned their mutual participation in each other's strategic activities, OAPI and the EPO discussed organizing events on the commercialization of Industrial Designs (ID) in selected countries.
A day full of commitments and promising prospects
These meetings illustrate OAPI's commitment to fostering ambitious international cooperation that promotes innovation, competitiveness, and the economic development of its member states. The WIPO General Assemblies, which began on Tuesday the 8th, will continue until July 17th.
