The protection of Geographical Indications in Africa and the Middle East

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The protection of Geographical Indications in
Africa and the Middle East

• Agnes Nyaga, Vice-President for Africa
• OriGIn General Assembly Meeting
• Hangzhou China, 14 -15 Novembre 2005

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Kenya a strong supporter of GIs

• Kenyan Government and producers of GIs have been
  at the forefront in calling for a better
  protection of GIs at the International level
  
• Kenya is currently working on the adoption of a
  law on GIs with a view to establish a national
  system for the registration of Geographical
  indication
• Many products are interested tea, coffee, soap
  stone, etc.

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Others in East and South Africa

• South Africa
• Protection of European GI wines and spirits as a
  result of the EC/South Africa January 2002
  agreement
  
• technical assistance project ongoing
• Others countries interested in GI protection
• Madagascar
• Mauritius Island
• Ethiopie coffee

4
Western and Central Africa the OAPI GI Project

• Bangui Agreement provides for the protection of
  GIs in the 16 countries members of OAPI Benin,
  Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic,
  Chad, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea,
  Guinée-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mali,
  Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo
• Ongoing technical assistance project supported by
  WIPO and three French institutes INAO, INPI and
  CIRAD
  
• 4 countries chosen for pilote projects Burkina
  Faso, Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast
  
• Many products identified as candidates for GI
  protection

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GIs in the Arabic Countries

• North Africa
• Morocco ongoing work on the creation of a sui
  generis system of GI protection with the support
  of several technical assistance programmes
  
• Tunisia work on the establishment of Gis, such
  as  IGP deglet Nour de Kébilie ,  IGP deglet
  Nour de Tozeur 
  
• Middle East
• Lebanon WIPO technical assistance provided to
  set up a sui generis system for the protection of
  GIs
  
• Other countries exploring the interest for GI
  protection
  
• Jordania
• Iran
• Syria

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