TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES: INFORMATION
FROM
OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
COOPERATION COUNCIL FOR THE ARAB
STATES OF THE GULF
At its meeting of 26-27
June 2025, the Council for TRIPS agreed to invite intergovernmental
organization observers to the Council to update the information on their
technical and financial cooperation programmes relating to the implementation
of the TRIPS Agreement.
The
present document reproduces the information which has been received from the Cooperation
Council for the Arab States of the Gulf by means of a communication dated 8 September 2025.
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1 INTRODUCTION
1. GCC is an intergovernmental organization with membership of the
following states: United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and State of Kuwait.
2. According to Article 20 of the GCC Economic Agreement which states
that member States 'shall develop programs encouraging talented individuals and
supporting innovation and invention; cooperate in the field of intellectual
property and develop regulations and procedures ensuring the protection of
intellectual property rights; and coordinate their relevant policies towards
other countries, regional blocs and international and regional organizations',
the secretariat general of the GCC directs most of its technical cooperation
activities to its member States.
3. This document presents a report on the main technical cooperation
activities undertaken by the secretariat general of the GCC-GCC Patent Office,
either alone or in cooperation with other parties, from 1 September 2024 to 1
September 2025 which are relevant to intellectual property issues, following
the invitation of the Chair of the WTO Council for TRIPS to provide updated
information on such activities.
4. Technical assistance activities undertaken by the secretariat general of the GCC or in
cooperation with other parties during the above‑mentioned period has been
focused on various concrete IP aspects. These activities were conducted in the
form of workshops, on-job training, and secondment or through supporting the
participation in conferences or in international IP exhibitions. The said
activities are listed in the Annex below.