July 10, 2024 – Geneva, Switzerland
In a compelling address at the Sixty-Fifth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO, Minister Amin Modad, representing Liberia’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry, conveyed Liberia’s strong commitment to intellectual property (IP) development and international collaboration.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Modad extended warm greetings from the President and People of Liberia, emphasizing the crucial role of IP in Liberia’s socio-economic agenda. He highlighted Liberia’s alignment with the African position and expressed gratitude to WIPO for its support to Liberian SMEs in IP management. Notably, Minister Modad shared the success story of 30 SMEs in food processing, packaging, and fashion design sectors that received training and secured trademarks, underscoring Liberia’s proactive approach to fostering business growth through IP protection.
Minister Modad emphasized that despite being a new administration, Liberia prioritizes IP as a catalyst for development, particularly in leveraging the youth population and dynamic women entrepreneurs. He underscored Liberia’s commitment to adding value to its comparative advantages and integrating IP awareness into the national development agenda.
Looking forward, Minister Modad sought WIPO’s collaboration in digitizing and enhancing Liberia’s IP infrastructure, prioritizing technology, and harnessing Liberia’s rich cultural heritage. He pledged Liberia’s commitment to ratify outstanding WIPO and ARIPO protocols in the coming months, signaling Liberia’s proactive stance in international IP governance.
In closing, Minister Modad commended the Liberian Intellectual Property Office for their representation and thanked WIPO, ARIPO, development partners, and member states for their efforts in advancing global IP frameworks. He reaffirmed Liberia’s eagerness to cooperate in transitioning towards a knowledge-based economy driven by IP, technology, equity, and creativity.
Minister Amin Modad’s address epitomized Liberia’s dedication to embracing IP as a cornerstone of its development strategy, ensuring sustainable growth and international collaboration.
