Cabinet endorses strategy plan

THE National Executive Council (NEC) recently endorsed the Papua New Guinea Intellectual Property Strategy 2020-2030 a policy document intended to provide a roadmap to guide the integration of intellectual property into the country’s national development initiatives.
According to the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA), the strategy was developed within the context of the PNG Vision 2050 which sets the framework for mapping the future direction of the country in terms of economic, social and cultural development.
It said the objective of the strategy was to boost the country’s domestic and international trade in both tangible and intangible assets encouraging increased business activity, economic growth and prosperity.
It added that the need to have an effective intellectual property legal framework was important given the increase in business innovations and creativity happening in various industries within the country and around the world.
In announcing NEC decision 254/2020, Commerce and Industry Minister William Duma said it was important for the country to have a framework that provided protection and enforcements of intangible rights. “While Papua New Guinea is heavily dependent on non-renewable resources, there is a need to embrace the power of innovation and creativity as a tool for economic development and support the development of an effective intellectual property system,” he said.
“The strategic aspirations in the strategy encourages the development and growth of the manufacturing, services, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and eco-tourism sectors, and thus facilitates for a broad-based economic growth trajectory.”
Duma said appropriate policies and regulations had to be established to create a conducive environment for research for economic development to flourish and encourage innovation and creativity.
A well-functioning intellectual property system could provide the enabling environment for innovation to occur, not only to create intellectual property assets but also to provide a mechanism to manage those assets to create wealth.
IPA said the operation of the intellectual property system depended on the creativity and engagement of individuals in the public and private sectors and academia.
The national intellectual property strategy will ensure that those who create new intellectual property in Papua New Guinea are able to derive a fair reward.
The strategy’s goal is to create an enabling environment for use of the intellectual property system in order to:

• Promote creative and innovative activities in all sectors; and,
• Increase the level and forms of protection of intellectual property assets generated in the public and private sectors and academia among others.

The strategy was developed after consultation from relevant stakeholders at each stage of its development.
This was made possible with the assistance of the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the European Union through its trade-related assistance programme of the ministry of trade and industry.
The strategy will be implemented by the Intellectual Property Office of PNG with relevant stakeholders identified in the national intellectual property strategy.