On Tuesday, 7 July, in Geneva, addressing representatives of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the intellectual property (IP) community at the opening session of the WIPO General Assembly, Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office of Latvia (LPO), highlighted WIPO’s significant role in promoting the development of both the global and Latvian IP systems.
LPO Director Agris Batalauskis congratulated WIPO Director General Daren Tang on his reappointment, emphasising his contribution to the Organisation’s development to date. He noted that under Mr Tang’s leadership, WIPO has become a modern, open and forward-looking organisation that helps member states use the potential of IP to foster innovation, creativity and economic growth. The LPO Director also expressed his gratitude for the successful cooperation and support provided by WIPO in strengthening Latvia’s IP system.
“We highly value the Organisation’s support and remain ready to continue playing an active role in WIPO’s work, sharing our experience and jointly seeking solutions to the new challenges facing the global IP system,” Agris Batalauskis stated in his address.
Assessing the current situation in the field of IP, the LPO Director stressed that, in today’s rapidly changing environment, it is particularly important to ensure that the IP system is able to adapt to changes while maintaining its core mission of promoting innovation, creativity and sustainable economic development.
The LPO Director also reaffirmed Latvia’s unwavering support for Ukraine, emphasising that Latvia continues to firmly uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, while supporting the resilience and development of Ukraine’s IP ecosystem.
The WIPO General Assembly is the Organisation’s highest decision-making body, bringing together delegations from WIPO member states each year to determine the Organisation’s operational priorities, strategic development and IP policy directions. During the Assembly, member states review WIPO’s achievements over the previous year, take decisions on governance and budgetary matters, discuss current issues relating to the international IP system, and set priorities for future work.
This year, the 68th Series of Meetings of the WIPO General Assembly took place in Geneva from 7 to 15 July, bringing together more than 190 WIPO member states, international organisations and observers. The agenda included governance and financial matters, reports on the work of WIPO committees and the implementation of international IP treaties, discussions on developments in innovation, copyright, patents, trademarks and industrial designs, as well as issues concerning the role of IP in economic growth, sustainable development and digital transformation. Particular attention at this year’s meetings was devoted to WIPO’s future strategic development following the reappointment of Director General Daren Tang for a second term of office.