Strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and WIPO: key takeaways from the meeting with Habip Asan, Director of the TDC Division

Supporting Ukraine in the field of intellectual property and innovation during wartime, developing a national IP strategy, and strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) were among the key topics discussed by the Ukrainian delegation and the leadership of the Division for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC) of the WIPO during a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

The agenda of the meeting also included discussions of joint work in the framework of the implementation of WIPO General Assembly decisions, review of WIPO support tools for accession to WIPO-Administered Treaties, projects to support collective rights management, introduction of new digital services for IP users, and further support for the implementation of best practices in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

The following WIPO officials participated in this meeting:

• Habip Asan, Director, TDC, WIPO;

• Virag Halgand, Head, Section for Central European and Baltic States Countries and Mediterranean Countries, TDC, WIPO;

• Mihaela Cerbari Simmons, Program Officer, Section for Central European and Baltic States Countries and Mediterranean Countries, TDC, WIPO;

• Kasym Velychko, Associate Program Officer, TDC, WIPO.

The Ukrainian delegation was represented by:

• Bogdan Paduchak, First Deputy Director, UANIPIO;

• Ramiz Ramazanov, Counsellor of the Economic Section of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the UN Office and other International Organisations in Geneva.

The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation and exploring new joint initiatives. Habip Asan emphasized the importance of WIPO’s support and assistance in developing Ukraine’s innovation and creative sectors. In this context, special attention was given to the development of a national intellectual property strategy, which plays a key role in fostering economic growth and sustainable development.

“We look forward to working closely with Ukraine to bolster further innovation and creativity and harness IP’s full potential,” noted the Director of the TDC Division.

Bogdan Paduchak expressed gratitude to WIPO representatives for the substantive discussions and for their unwavering support of Ukraine’s intellectual property sector, especially during the darkest times of the unprovoked and unjustified Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

“We sincerely appreciate WIPO’s continuous support in strengthening Ukraine’s innovation and creative ecosystem, as well as in mitigating the negative impact of the war of aggression. We hope to further deepen our strong cooperation and work together to support inventors, creators, businesses, and startups,” emphasized the First Deputy Director of UANIPIO.

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