Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean is responsible for thirty-three countries in the region. The Bureau carries out programs and activities on regional, sub-regional and national levels recognizing the differing needs and abilities of the countries.

WIPO's cooperation with countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region aims at developing and strengthening the intellectual property (IP) system, in order that IP may play an increasingly important role in policy making and in setting-up the economic, social and technological development programs in each country. WIPO's cooperation in the region had been targeted towards strengthening the national industrial property and copyright systems, meeting the demands for updating the legal framework and administrative structures and the implementation of enforcement mechanisms. Together with these "fundamental activities", a greater emphasis is being placed on aiding countries in using IP as a tool for economic development by facilitating wider use of the IP systems by cultural industries, SMEs, R&D Centers, and other stakeholders through promotion activities and training of the actors involved.

The Bureau carries out a number of cooperation activities with governmental, international and regional organizations such as: the Secretariat for Central American Integration (SIECA: www.sieca.org.gt); the Andean Community (CAN: www.comunidadandina.org); the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS: www.oecs.org); the Secretariat of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM: www.caricom.org); Economic Commission for the Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC: www.eclac.org); the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR: www.mercosur.org); the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM: www.oepm.es); the European Patent Office (EPO: www.european-patent-office.org) and the Spanish Ministry of Cultural Affairs. In addition, the Bureau cooperates with a number of international and regional non-governmental organizations, which have observer status in several WIPO committees. Finally, the Bureau carries out cooperation activities with several institutions of higher education in the region.