03/09/2025
ARIPO Participated In SARIMA 2025
By: Staff Writer
Harare - In an effort aimed at strengthening Africa's Research and Innovation Ecosystem, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) will participate and exhibit at the 2025 Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Conference in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
The conference commenced on 2 September and will on the 5 of September 2025 with this year’s theme, “Expect the Unexpected: Unlocking the Value of Research & Innovation Management.
A release issued by ARIPO said the SARIMA Conference in Stellenbosch, South Africa aligns strongly with its work of empowering research institutions through intellectual property (IP) knowledge and skills, especially in an area where IP is still a secondary concern.
According to the release, central to this mission is the ARIPO Academy, the Organization’s flagship platform for capacity building, skills development, and knowledge dissemination in the IP field throughout Africa.
ARIPO has become a driving force in strengthening Africa’s innovation ecosystem by equipping researchers, innovators, policymakers, and academics with the expertise to integrate IP into their work. From its Masters in Intellectual Property (MIP) degree programs to professional development workshops and trainings, ARIPO has nurtured a generation of IP professionals who are leading innovation and research management across Africa and beyond, the press statement adeed
“Through the ARIPO Academy, we are not only training professionals but also shaping the intellectual property landscape of Africa,” said Bemanya Twebaze, ARIPO Director General. “The graduates and researchers we work with are driving IP policy, managing innovation, commercializing research outputs, and contributing to Africa’s socio-economic development in tangible ways. Their impact demonstrates how critical academic and research institutions are to innovation.”
At SARIMA 2025, ARIPO will spotlight how its initiatives support universities, R&D centers, and innovation managers in leveraging IP tools to advance research. By bridging the gap between research and commercialization, ARIPO ensures that Africa’s innovations are not only protected but also brought to market to address societal needs.
ARIPO has championed regional IP systems for nearly five decades to drive Africa’s potential. As the Organization approaches its Golden Jubilee, ARIPO anchors to the cornerstone of its strategy, ensuring that capacity building, skills transfer, and knowledge sharing are central to Africa’s innovation and trade ambitions.
About ARIPO
ARIPO is an intergovernmental organization that facilitates cooperation among its Member States in Intellectual Property (IP) matters. The purpose of ARIPO is to pool resources for the promotion, development, and harmonization of the IP laws and policies of its Member States. The objective of ARIPO, amongst others, is to establish common services and organs for IP coordination, development and harmonization. The Member States of ARIPO comprise Botswana, The Kingdom of Eswatini, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, The Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé & Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. You can read more about ARIPO at www.aripo.org
About the Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs
The Harare Protocol on Patents and Industrial Designs was adopted on 10 December 1982. The Protocol empowers ARIPO to grant patents and register industrial designs and utility models on behalf of the Contracting States. All ARIPO Member States are signatories to this Protocol, except Somalia.
About the Banjul Protocol on Marks
The Banjul Protocol on Marks was adopted on 19 November 1993. The Protocol empowers the Organization to register marks centrally for the Contracting States. Since 1997, the Protocol has been extensively revised to make it compatible with the TRIPs Agreement and the Trademark Law Treaty, as well as make it more user-friendly. States currently party to the Banjul Protocol are: Botswana, Cabo Verde, The Kingdom of Eswatini, The Gambia, The Kingdom of Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
About the Swakopmund Protocol on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore
The Swakopmund Protocol was adopted at a Diplomatic Conference of ARIPO on 9 August 2010, in Swakopmund, Namibia. The Protocol entered into force on 11 May 2015.
ARIPO is mandated under the Swakopmund Protocol on the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore to protect traditional knowledge holders against any infringement of their rights and expressions of folklore against misappropriation, misuse, and unlawful exploitation.
The Protocol currently has nine Contracting States, which are: Botswana, Cabo Verde, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, The Gambia, Liberia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
About the Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants
The Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants was adopted in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania, on 6 July 2015. The Protocol entered into force in November 2024. The Protocol provides Member States with a regional plant variety protection system that recognizes the need to provide growers and farmers with improved varieties of plants to ensure sustainable agricultural production.
The Contracting States to the Protocol are Cabo Verde, Ghana, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
About the Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related Rights
The Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related Rights was adopted on 28 August 2021 at a Diplomatic Conference in Kampala, Uganda, by the Council of Ministers of ARIPO Member States. Currently, one Country has deposited its instrument of ratification, namely the Republic of Namibia. Eleven others have signed the Protocol: The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sao Tome & Principe, Sudan, Sierra Leone, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The Protocol will enter into force once five (5) countries deposit their instruments of ratification or accession with the Director General of ARIPO.