| MAIN | KEY-NOTE SPEAKER | SPEAKER-2 | SPEAKER-3 |
Professor Dr. S. Rama Rao, CEO of the IPDP – Intellectual Property Development Program, New York, USA & Former Director, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) explained the importance of World Intellectual Property Day 2020, the role and function of WIPO in protecting and promoting intellectual property globally as well as its technical assistance to developing countries and LDCs including Bangladesh in this field through its development agenda. He also gave an overview of the legal, normative and institutional structure of WIPO and its global services in the sectors of patents, trademarks, industrial designs and copyrights, which are efficient, fast and cost effective to help inventors and creators.
Turning to innovate for a Green Future, the theme of this year’s World IP Day, Dr. Rao underscored the need to streamline science, technology and innovation (STI) and create new means in areas of energy and greenhouse gas emissions which will reduce and mitigate threats of climate change and guarantee Green Future.
WIPO rightly took it up as the theme for this year’s World IP Day because the global energy demands are expected to increase by 30% in 20 years from now. That increase in demand needs to be met by eco friendly and renewable energies constitute only 15% of total demand, but optimally they need to be around 85% if we need to ensure green future and hence the need to focus on renewable energies. He also explained in details about several measures to adopt in this respect that will ensure sustainable development of all countries. Community participation including that of indigenous people and utilization of traditional knowledge and geographical indications are all necessary in ensuring green future. He also underscored the importance of WIPO Green platform in this connection.
The critical role of intellectual property in scientific and technological innovation, he stressed in pertinent to the social and economic development of Bangladesh as well. He appreciated the active role being played by the Centre for Policy Research, Bangladesh and the Intellectual Property Development Program (IPDP) in promoting STI and IP. He pleaded that more needed to be done and Government of Bangladesh and private sectors as well as aid agencies should provide these institutions necessary resources so that they can contribute significantly to the sustainable development of the country.