The ACP-Edulink project IP4GROWTH organised its second training module on Intellectual Property protection related to agricultural products in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, between 24^th and 26^th February 2015 at the Centre Ivoirien de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CIRES) in Abidjan, (Ivory Coast).  There were over 20 participants from IP4GROWTH partners Queen Mary University London (UK), University of Alicante (Spain), CIRES (Ivory Coast), Université Ouaga 2 (Burkina Faso), Université de Thiès (Sénégal), ROPPA and OAPI, as well as from other institutions in Abidjan: Université Nangui Abrogoua, Université Félix Houphouët Boigny, research centres (CNRA, Centre Suisse and IRD), from the Ministère de l’Agriculture de Côte d’Ivoire, ANAPOCI, OIPI and RIL.

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The 3-day training module was officially inaugurated by Dr. Bouaffon, Directeur Adjoint of the CIRES, and Cristina Beans, coordinator of IP4GROWTH from the University of Alicante. The training module, with talks by professors Guido Westkamp, Uma Suthersanen and Graham Dutfield from Queen Mary Unviersity London covered specific aspects of Geographical Indicators, Traditional Knowledge and related issues of patent/plant variety protection. In addition, attendants were familiarised with basic issues concerning the interface between IP and competition and introduced to the foundations of international jurisdiction and applicable law aspects in relation to, predominantly, IP licenses. Mme Ngo Mbaga from the Organisation Africaine pour la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI) presented the OAPI’s Geographic Indication project and M. Brou from the Office Ivoirien de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OIPI) presented the current situation of Geographic Indications in Ivory Coast and the work they have been doing to raise awareness among stakeholders.

Local press from Abidjan was present for the inauguration of the workshop:

The IP4GROWTH partner participants will soon be replicating this training in each of their own universities (June 2015), to which event members of other institutions in their country will be invited.