For the fourth consecutive year, Ukraine, together with countries that share the values and principles of international law, has raised the issue of the need to respond to the aggressive policy of the russian federation at the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which systematically undermine the international legal order, devalue the law, destroy cultural heritage, and threaten the global intellectual property ecosystem.
On July 8, 2025, the 66th series of meetings of the Assemblies of Member States of WIPO (hereinafter – General Assembly) began in Geneva (Switzerland) – the main international forum in the IP sphere, which brought together nearly 1,600 delegates from around the world.
The Ukrainian delegation at the WIPO General Assembly is represented by the team of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO/IP Office), namely:
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During the opening of the General Assembly, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Oleksandr Tsybort, emphasized that russia’s war against Ukraine undermines the foundations of international law and destroys the international intellectual property ecosystem.
“The scale of the destruction is staggering. Joint Assessment supported by the UN shows that over 524 billion US dollars are needed for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. To put this in context, that is over 500 times WIPO’s projected biennial income.
Since 2022, over 2,200 cultural infrastructure sites have been damaged or destroyed, including libraries, museums, and historical monuments; hundreds of artists have been killed and millions of archival and museum items have been stolen or destroyed.
Just last month, russian attack damaged the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of our shared human heritage.
russia systematically violates international IP law – stealing Ukrainian IP rights and cultural works, while enabling piracy and parallel imports. The blatant misappropriation by russia of the Ukrainian geographical indication Melitopol Cherry, exposed during previous WIPO Assemblies, reflects a wider russian policy of erasing Ukraine’s cultural identity through systematic IP theft.
A country that implements such policies does not deserve a seat at this Assembly, nor any privilege to host a WIPO external office”.
Despite the war, the Ukrainian government continues to implement systemic reforms in the IP sphere. Among the priorities are the development of a draft National IP Strategy (in close cooperation with WIPO) and the implementation of assistance projects for affected institutions and communities.
“We urge the International Bureau to maintain and deepen its cooperation by focusing on mitigating the effects of this war and assisting in our recovery.
Ukraine continues to fight not only for its sovereignty but also for the fundamental values of freedom, culture, and creativity. We are confident that IP is not just a technical issue – it is a pillar of identity, innovation, and resilience.
We appreciate your support. It helps us to protect what russia seeks to erase. We urge WIPO and its Member States to remain steadfast, to act decisively, and to ensure that IP and this forum continue to serve development, not destruction”, emphasized Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine.
Many countries spoke out in support of Ukraine and condemned russia, both in national capacities and on behalf of groups of states.
The Central European and Baltic States Group (CEBS), which includes Ukraine, has consistently supported our country. In its statement announced by the Estonian delegation at the opening of the Assembly, CEBS confirmed:
“This is why the operation of the WIPO External Office in moscow is a subject of grave concern for the overwhelming majority of the CEBS Group”, the Statement states.
The European Union and its member states also expressed their support for Ukraine. A statement was made on their behalf by the Danish delegation, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU. The statement emphasized that WIPO’s assistance to Ukraine is extremely important for the EU and its member states. Once again, the unjustified and unprovoked war that the russian federation is waging against Ukraine was strongly condemned.
The European Union confirmed that the Secretariat’s report contains compelling evidence that the aggressive war is dividing the international IP community instead of uniting it around the important joint efforts supported by WIPO. The EU and its Member States have declared their unwavering support and solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
In addition, delegations from Estonia, Poland, Canada, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Great Britain, Lithuania, Germany, Moldova, Australia, Latvia, Italy, and Croatia expressed their support in national capacity for Ukraine.
Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Emmanuel Berrod.
For reference:
The General Assembly is one of the main governing bodies of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which annually brings together representatives of member states to discuss key issues in the field of intellectual property. In July 2025, the 66th series of meetings of the Assemblies of WIPO Member States will take place, which is a platform for assessing the Organization’s achievements, agreeing on strategic decisions, and determining priorities for further activities.
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