Representatives of the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO) joined the 7th session of the Working Group on the Development of the Lisbon System of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which took place on February 17–19, 2026, in Geneva (Switzerland).
Olha Tenova, a leading Examiner of the Unit for Trademarks and Geographical Applications Substantive Examination, Division for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications Examination, Industrial Property Examination Department, participated in the meetings at the WIPO headquarters on behalf of UANIPIO.
In particular, the key topic of the session was the discussion of practical aspects of states’ accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.
Ukraine nowadays is laying the basis for joining the Lisbon System: active work is currently underway to adapt national legislation. This step will ensure international protection for Ukrainian geographical indications globally.
Speaking on behalf of the Ukrainian delegation, the representative of UANIPIO emphasized that despite the agreements reached earlier, which are set out in the Decision of the WIPO General Assembly in 2024 and confirmed during the 66th series of Assembly meetings in July 2025, Ukraine is forced to note that WIPO’s global services still allow false addresses of applicants from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“We also continue to record cases of illegal appropriation and misleading the community regarding the use by the aggressor country of Ukrainian geographical indications related to products originating from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” Olha Tenova noted.
In this regard, Ukraine called on the International Bureau of WIPO to immediately implement effective technical and organizational measures to ensure that all publications, databases and services of the organization fully respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
Olha Tenova, a leading Examiner of the Unit for Trademarks and Geographical Applications Substantive Examination, Division for Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications Examination, Industrial Property Examination Department
The representative of the Ukrainian delegation also noted that despite the extremely difficult conditions caused by the ongoing war of aggression, Ukraine continues to develop its geographical indications system and remains committed to international cooperation in this area.
“Ukraine confirms its intention to accede to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement and expresses its sincere gratitude to the WIPO Secretariat and Member States for their consistent support and assistance in this process,” concluded Olha Tenova.
During the session, the representative of UANIPIO participated in the consideration of proposed amendments to the Common Regulations to the Lisbon Agreement and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement (document LI/WG/DEV-SYS/7/2), as well as in the discussion of amendments to procedures related to additional requirements under Article 7 (4) of the Geneva Act and Rule 5(3) of the Common Regulations (document LI/WG/DEV-SYS/7/3).
In addition, during the session, informal discussions were held with representatives of national agencies and international partners, during which the further process of Ukraine’s accession and support from the international community were discussed.
“Participation in the meeting is extremely important for Ukraine in the context of its European integration aspirations. Accession to the Geneva Act will ensure a high level of international protection for Ukrainian geographical indications and contribute to the development of national producers and the country’s economy as a whole,” commented Olha Tenova.
For reference:
The Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement provides for the possibility of obtaining international protection for geographical indications (in particular, names of regional products) through a single registration procedure. Ukraine is not currently a party to the Lisbon Agreement. At the same time, following bilateral meetings between Ukraine and the European Commission as part of the screening of national legislation alignment with EU law, our State plans to join the Geneva Act by 2027.
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