The importance of the contribution of GIs to sustainable development in Africa was underlined during a two-day round table organised jointly by OAPI, ARIPO and WIPO in Yaoundé, on “Geographical Indications in Africa: Challenges of Territorial Development, Economic Integration and Trade”. Participants recognised the need to put in place national provisions to develop protection and enhancement systems for GIs. Specifically, the importance of the establishment of an institutional and legal framework able to support quality approaches for local producers and protection their geographical indications. Such an undertaking will involve the establishment of national public policies for the development and promotion of the strategic use of GIs, through a legal framework ensuring the protection of GIs, and the implementation of a framework of multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Likewise, the stakeholders of this Roundtable concluded to proceed to the identification of products eligible for GI protection, to develop the necessary expertise at the level of both the authorities and national actors, and to aid local producers through national authorities and experts in the development of GIs.

Thanking OAPI for having hosted this first tripartite meeting on GIs, the participants expressed the wish that this kind of meetings are repeated, in order to engage in important exchange of current issues and increase mutual experiences.