GENEVA - Under the patronage of Her Excellency Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Egypt's First Lady, the International Conference on Copyright and Development: From Cultural Diversity to Social Prosperity was held January 27-28, 2007 in Cairo.
The conference was organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the Arab Publishers Association (APA) and the International Publishers Association (IPA), a press release by WIPO stated.
WIPO's Director General Dr. Kamil Idris delivered a keynote statement at the conference in which he emphasized the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) as a tool for economic, social and cultural development.
During a separate meeting with the First Lady, Dr. Idris thanked Mrs. Mubarak for her leadership in supporting projects to highlight the importance of the copyright sector in national economic, social and cultural development processes.
They also agreed on the critical need for conducting public awareness campaigns, as well as human resource development and training in the field of IP. Dr. Idris pledged WIPO’s continued support for technical cooperation programs to promote the IP infrastructure in Egypt and effective use of the IP system for wealth creation.
Dr. Idris also outlined the link between development and IP. The Director General said that the strategic use of IP offers an opportunity for nations and individuals to convert their creative resources into economic assets capable of generating wealth and contributing to a more secure future. A strong national commitment to the IP system ensures the establishment of an environment within which the creative and innovative potential of a country may flourish.
Opening addresses were delivered by H.E. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, Minister of Culture H.E. Mr. Farouk Hosni, President of the IPA, Ms. Ana Maria Cabanellas and President of the APA, Mr. Ibrahim El Moallem.
In talks, the issues of protection of national cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and folklore were highlighted, as well as a review of cooperation with the Egyptian Government. They agreed on intensifying joint activities to further promote the development and use of the intellectual property system in Egypt.
Dr. Idris also held talks with the APA President, Mr. Ibrahim El Moallem, on promoting the role of copyright for the development of creative industries, in particular the publishing industry, through closer collaboration with the APA.