WIPO Director General makes first high-level visit to ARIPO in nearly two decades

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) has hosted World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General, Daren Tang in Harare, marking the first top-level visit from WIPO to ARIPO since 2006. The visit is being described as a significant step in strengthening cooperation on intellectual property (IP) across Africa.

ARIPO Director-General, Bemanya Twebaze welcomed Tang and noted that the renewed engagement reflects WIPO’s commitment to supporting IP-driven sustainable development in ARIPO Member States. Under Tang’s leadership, collaboration between the two organisations has deepened, expanding beyond current members to include outreach to potential future members and other African countries.

WIPO’s partnership with ARIPO covers several key initiatives, including the Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) Network, the HIPOC Conference, Africa-focused youth and SME empowerment programmes, and the IP Schools Club Project, which aims to build IP awareness among young people. Tang’s visit also coincides with the practical training phase of the Master’s in Intellectual Property programme underway at the ARIPO Secretariat, ahead of the MIP Annual Conference.

Other areas of cooperation include regional patent drafting courses and joint missions to ARIPO Member States and observer countries. Tang’s recent engagements span Botswana, Cabo Verde, Liberia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, where he is set to meet government officials to advance IP-led economic transformation.

The visit comes ahead of ARIPO’s 50th anniversary in December 2026, marking five decades of promoting innovation and creativity through a centralised IP system and capacity-building efforts across Africa. Twebaze said the milestone will provide an opportunity to highlight ARIPO’s achievements and reaffirm its commitment to a strong and accessible IP ecosystem on the continent.

ARIPO expressed appreciation for WIPO’s continued collaboration and confirmed its intention to strengthen joint efforts aimed at using intellectual property as a catalyst for sustainable development for its Member States and Africa as a whole.