TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:
INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS
New
Zealand
The following communication, dated 19 October 2023, is being circulated at the request of
the delegation of New Zealand.
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1 The Intellectual Property
Office of New Zealand
1. The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) provides
on-going technical assistance on request to developing and least developed
countries. New Zealand will continue to support future work, on request, to
improve the intellectual property systems of developing countries. IPONZ is recognised for its efficient and effective online
services, high quality examination and registration processes. As a result,
IPONZ hosts delegations
and study visits from developing and least developed countries to provide
practical training and knowledge sharing. Recently, IPONZ's ability to assist
has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions at the New Zealand
border. With these restrictions easing IPONZ can offer its assistance more
readily again.
2 The Plant Variety Rights
Office (PVRO)
2. New Zealand has been a member of the International Union for the
Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) since 1981. A key element of UPOV
is cooperation between member States and the harmonisation of testing and
examination activity. On an as requested basis, New Zealand supplies variety
test reports to several members and utilises testing results from other States
for the Rights decision here. Such activity encourages on going sharing and
exchange of technical experience and expertise between UPOV member States.
3. New Zealand continues to actively
participate in the Council, Consultative Committee, Administrative and Legal
Committee, Technical Committee and the Technical Working Parties for
Agriculture, Ornamentals and for Fruit. New Zealand is currently the chair of
the Technical Working Party for Fruit Crops through to 2023. The International
Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) conducted all
meetings in 2021 by virtual means.
3 AANZFTA Economic Cooperation
4. The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) mandates a
programme of technical assistance activities to assist AANZFTA Parties to
operationalise and implement the Agreement, particularly the 'Economic
Cooperation' chapter of AANZFTA. Until June 2022 this was known as the AANZFTA
Economic Cooperation Support Programme (AECSP). New Zealand has committed to
continue to fund the AECSP successor programme, the AANZFTA Implementation
Support Program (AISP), which continues to support AANZFTA Parties to
operationalise and implement the Agreement. The successor programme became
operational in 2022. Like the AECSP, the AISP is jointly funded by Australia
and New Zealand.
5. Projects funded by the AISP are available to all ten ASEAN member States.
The aim of AANZFTA Economic Cooperation is to facilitate AANZFTA
implementation; progress built-in agenda negotiations; achieve deeper economic
integration among the parties; and increase business utilisation of AANZFTA.
6. Under the 2023 Economic Cooperation Work Plan for the AISP, the
programme will deliver a number of projects focused on intellectual property in
the next year, including:
a._