The need for closer relations and interactions has been the biggest takeaway that has surfaced in the Heads of Intellectual Property Office Conference (HIPOC) for the Pacific islands, says Andrew Michael Ong, the director for the Division of Asia and the Pacific.
“To forge and create innovation, and creativity in society,” he said.
“There’s a lot of discovery, if you will, by the Government on the needs and priorities and probably the urgent issues of the industry and how also the academic universities can support the industries.”
Mr Ong shared that the discussions and applying the points of discussions using a regional perspective inspired many of the participants to use these means as viable approaches.
“So that probably inspired many to look at it as a viable approach and initiative moving forward.
“I could mention the Cook Islands was very interested, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, so you could see that really happening.”
He reiterated the importance of ensuring these local artists equally benefit from their work.
“The world is moving towards intangibles, the value has gone from the fixed tangible assets like materials, and property to the creation of the intellectual.
“UNESCO is valuing and including world heritage practices, traditional knowledge, expressions, art, music, literature as important as tangible assets so in that way you can see the trend and the movement towards valuing or monetising this area.
“So, this, we use as a vehicle for countries to showcase, share with each other practices, best practice or next practice of things and in that has always stimulated actions and initiatives after the discussions.
“So, the 2015, 2016, and 2017 discussions all produced many national actions.
“The discussions are regional, but the actions are national.”
