The Sixty-Second Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO launched at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 4, 2021. Meetings are held in hybrid mode because of COVID-19 infection. Some representatives of Member States join meeting directly at WIPO Headquarters, while others attend online.

The delegation representing our country is participating in the event in a hybrid mode. Representatives of the Agency, led by Chairman of the Board of the Intellectual Property Agency Kamran Imanov, joined the event online, while collaborators of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN Office in Geneva and other International Organizations, including Ambassador Mr. Galib Israfilov joined directly.

Director General of WIPO Daren Tang addressed the opening of the Assemblies. Welcoming the participants, DarenTang expressed the views of the organization's management on the future of the WIPO, which maintains a strong financial position and is able to withstand the pandemic to this day due to the agility and professionalism of its employees. Referring to the Global Innovation Index 2021, he noted the increase in intellectual property rights claims, research costs, research and development and venture capital in 2020.

Noting that the Assembly was held at a time when humanity is facing the most serious problem of our time, Tang said that this turning point will determine our common future: Assambleyanın bəşəriyyətin günümüzün ən ciddi problemi ilə üzləşdiyi bir vaxtda keçirildiyini qeyd edən D.Tanq, bu dönüş nöqtəsinin ümumi gələcəyimizi müəyyən edəcəyini bildirib: "We have a difficult path ahead of us, but thanks to innovation and creativity, we will overcome the pandemic and return to fair, inclusive and sustainable development."

Mr. Kamran Imanov, Chairman of Board of the Intellectual Property Agency, who attended the plenary session of the General Assembly online, made speech in English. Welcoming the participants on behalf of the delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the head of the Agency praised the work of the WIPO Secretariat under the leadership of the Director General to hold the Assembly.

K. Imanov stressed that the success of the Institute of Intellectual Property is determined by the consistency, stability and, at the same time, mobility on which WIPO is based. These values will contribute to the creation of a world of intellectual property that promotes innovation and creativity for the benefit of all, as outlined in the WIPO Medium-Term Strategic Plan for the next five years.

Noting that Azerbaijan closely cooperates with WIPO, joint memorandums on priority issues in the field of intellectual property were signed, Imanov said: "The main goal of our Agency is to support the economic reforms implemented by the country's leadership, to promote the application of innovations and to become an active player in economic growth." Changes in the institutional structure of intellectual property have led to the introduction of digital rights protection, transparency and intensification, access to university expertise bases, support for local IP offices and the establishment of a Technology Commercialization and Transfer Center under the Agency.”

He said that new versions of the laws on industrial property, which take into account the new IP objects, and changes in the legislation on copyright and related rights, which accept traditional knowledge as an object of intellectual property, will come into force. Measures have also been taken to protect the protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural artifacts, and to ensure their registration and issuance of protection documents. As a result, invention and patent activity increased, lawsuits were expedited, and the share of the creative industry in the country's GDP increased.

At the end of his speech, Mr. Imanov noted the support for the promotion of innovative changes in the liberated and completely destroyed lands of Karabakh and the creation of "smart cities" and "smart villages".

It should be noted that at the meeting of the Assembly on October 4, K. Imanov was elected Char of the WCTAssembly. The election of the Azerbaijani representative to such a prestigious position is an indicator of the growing international prestige of our country as a result of the successful policy of our President.

The 62^nd Series of Assemblies of WIPO Member States will last until October 8.