A Joint Commission meeting between OAPI and ARIPO will hold in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the 25 July 2019. As a prelude to this meeting, a meeting of experts began yesterday 23 July in Harare and is being attended by the Director General of OAPI, Mr. Denis BOHOUSSOU with some OAPI Staff. The official opening of the Joint Commission and the meeting of experts was done yesterday, with opening remarks from the two Director Generals.

During his address, the Director General of ARIPO Mr. Fernando DOS SANTOS said the meeting is a platform where OAPI and ARIPO discuss matters of common interest in their Organizations. According to him, remarkable achievements have been recorded in ARIPO since the last Joint Commission that held in May 2018 in Yaounde. ARIPO and OAPI signed the WIPO-ARIPO-OAPI Agreement WAO which led to a high level Regoinal Round Table Conference on Geographical Indications that took place in Yaounde in June 2019, with the participation of Delegates from OAPI and ARIPO Member States amongst others.

The Director General of ARIPO said that the meeting is a continuation of discussions that started some years ago to harmonize some areas in the two systems.
Taking the rostrum, the Director General of OAPI, Mr. Denis BOHOUSSOU also indicated that he will be highlighting recent developments that have been recorded in OAPI, including filing statistics in industrial property titles. He outlined that OAPI and ARIPO have adopted concerted positions during discussions on certain issues at WIPO meetings, and we will continue to reflect on harmonizing certain aspects of our industrial property procedures.
After the official opening ceremony, the experts began work and continue today with discussions.