Bipa executives appointed to Wipo committees

Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) chief executive officer Vivienne Katjiuongua and her colleague Ainna Kaundu have been appointed to decision-making committees of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo).

This happened during the 64th Assemblies of Wipo Member States from 6 to 14 July in Geneva, Switzerland.

Katjiuongua has been appointed as chairperson of the Wipo coordination committee, and is the first Namibian to hold this position since Namibia became a member of the organisation.

Kaundu was appointed as the deputy chairperson of the Wipo Conference for two years, while Katjiuongua will serve for a period of 12-months.

Bipa, in a statement, said Katjiuongua will be the executive coordinating organ and is responsible to provide advice on matters that are common to two or more of the unions administered by Wipo, including nominating a candidate for appointment to the position of director general.

“Namibia is fast becoming a viable contributor to global dialogue in the areas of intellectual property, innovation and creativity. I am humbled by this appointment and I will ensure that Namibia’s position to enhance innovation, trade and investment is prominently represented,” Katjiuongua said.

Kaundu will be tasked to lead a strategic committee that adopts amendments to the Wipo Conference, including the establishment of the biennial programme of legal-technical assistance.

“As I embrace the role of deputy chairperson of the Wipo Conference, I am committed to fostering collaboration, promoting innovation and protecting intellectual property rights on a global scale,” Kaundu said.

According to the statement, Wipo has supported Namibia’s intellectual property (IP) development agenda in various key strategic areas such as the implementation of the Integrated Intellectual Property Administration System (Ipas), the development of Namibia’s National IP Policy and Strategy launched in 2019, and various other capacity development initiatives which includes the recent launch project on women and IP.

“Namibia has been a member of Wipo since 23 December 1990. Established in 1963, Wipo is the global United Nations forum for intellectual property services with 193 member states,” noted Bipa.

Wipo director general Daren Tang will be visiting Namibia in November, to engage in consultations with high-level policymakers, IP administration and agencies in order to explore opportunities to enhance cooperation between Wipo and the Republic of Namibia, reads the statement.