African Ministerial Conference 2015: Intellectual Property for an Emerging Africa November 3-5, Dakar, Senegal

African heads of state, government ministers and top officials from the United Nations, African Union and private sector groups will gather in early November in Senegal to chart a plan for boosting the uptake of intellectual property tools to help stimulate economic and social development across Africa.

When: 3-5 November 2015.

Where: Dakar, King Fahd Palace Hotel, Republic of Senegal

Who: H.E. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal; H. E. Mrs. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of the Republic of Mauritius; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry and other senior UN officials; African Union Commission (AU C) Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma; the Commissioner for Human Resources Science and Technology of the AUC, Dr Martial De-Paul Ikounga and other regional officials; Some 60 government ministers are expected to attend.

What: A three day working meeting of leaders from across Africa, entitled “African Ministerial Conference 2015: Intellectual Property (IP) for an Emerging Africa.”The conference will be preceded on November 2by a workshop grouping young African innovators and creators to talk about IP, innovation and creativity.

“Africa has a great tradition of innovation and creativity…and innovation is a central driver of economic growth, development and better jobs,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry.“It is the key for firms to compete successfully in the global marketplace.”

He said:“Intellectual property is an indispensable mechanism for translating knowledge into commercial assets – IP rights create a secure environment for investment in innovation and provide a legal framework for trading in intellectual assets.”

AUC