. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONIP/C/W/109
4 September 1998
(98-3379)
Council for Trade-Related Aspects
of Intellectual Property RightsOriginal:  English
TECHNICAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES:  INFORMATION FROM
DEVELOPED COUNTRY MEMBERS
NEW ZEALAND
At the meetings of the Council for TRIPS in February and May 1996, it was agreed that
developed country Members would annually update information on their technical and financial
cooperation activities relevant to the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.  At its meeting of
12 May 1998, the Council agreed that in 1998 this w ould be done in time for the Council's meeting
scheduled for 17 and 18 September 1998.
The present document reproduces the information which has been received from the
Permanent Mission of New Zealand by mean s of a communication, dated 24 August 1998.
Communications from other developed country Members will be circulated as addenda to this
document.
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1. The Council for TRIPS has requested an update from developed country Members of their
technical and financial cooperation programmes in the area of intellectual property rights relevant to
the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement.
2. New Zealand considers requests for bilateral assistance in the area of intellectual property
rights from developing country partners under its Official Development Assistance Programme
(NZODA).  Such requests are addressed on a case by case basis in the context of bilateral or regional
development assistance programmes which New Zealand currently operates.  These programmes are
focused on the Pacific Island States and the developing countries of East and South-east Asia.
3. Under this NZODA Programme, a senior official from Tonga was hosted by the Intellectual
Property Office of New Zealand, during May and June 1998, in order to observe and learn the
workings of intellectual property administration.
4. New Zealand also considers requests for assistance and participation in technical cooperation
programmes overseen by multilateral and regional organisations.  In April 1998, New Zealand
co-hosted and co-financed with Australia and the WTO Secretariat, a seminar on the TRIPSAgreement for Officials from Least-Developed a nd Certain Other Developing Countries from the
Asia/Pacific Region.  The five-day seminar included presentations on the TRIPS Agreement and
various WIPO treaties, administration and enforcement issues, and syndicate exercises designed to
highlight practical measures for TRIPS implementation.  Presentations were made by the WTO and
WIPO Secretariats and Australian and New Zealand officials and experts.
5. As a member of Asia-pacific Economic Coope ration (APEC), New Zealand has also offered
its assistance to other APEC member economies under  the APEC Intellectual Property Rights ExpertsIP/C/W/109
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group Collective Action Item (g);  Proposal for Technical Cooperation Facilitation.  This proposal
covers legislative, enforcement, institutional and ad ministrative aspects of intellectual property rights.
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