Arab Bureau: Highlights of Activities
The Economic Development Bureau for Arab Countries referred to as the Arab Bureau, under the umbrella of the Economic Development Sector, deals with twenty Arab countries, of which four are Least Developing Countries (LDC's).
The Arab Bureau's primary objective is to assist Arab countries in developing and modernizing their intellectual property systems and to empower individuals, institutions and organizations in these countries to enable them to utilize the intellectual property system as a tool for economic, social and cultural development.
To attain these important objectives, the Arab Bureau plans and implements a multiple range of activities, including: revising national legislation to comply with international obligations; formulating national policies to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights, as well as those which encourage the enhancement of inventive and innovative activities; promoting regional and sub-regional consultation and cooperation; fostering efficient and service-oriented administration and management of intellectual property systems, particularly through the effective use of information technology; developing human resources, and creating linkages of cooperation and partnership with universities, research organizations, chambers of commerce and industry and other users of the intellectual property system.
The Bureau also, in coordination with other divisions of WIPO, provides expert advice, training and assistance to the Arab countries in such fields as innovation and creativity, as well as collective management of copyright and related rights.
The Arab Bureau organizes activities which are in line with the following objectives:
