AUC Commissioner Discusses Establishment of PAIPO with Tunisian Authorities

Tunis, Tunisia, 22 August 2013- The Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology H.E. Martial Ikounga together with the Director HRST Dr. Hakim Elwaer and the Head of Education Division Dr. Beatrice Njenga held a critical meeting with the Director for African Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tunisia on 22nd August 2013.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the way forward towards the establishment and hosting of the Pan African Intellectual Property Organisation (PAIPO). This is a particularly important organization for Africa that seeks, among other activities, to bring together the regional organizations that have been dealing with Intellectual Property Issues for a number of Member States. PAIPO will enable Africa to protect and enhance the benefit from its vast intellectual property and indigenous knowledge that has been exploited over the centuries worldwide with little or no benefit to Africa.

The AUC delegation also discussed issues concerning the Pan African University, and the Africa India collaboration since Tunisia was selected to host an African-India Institute for Research at the Louis Pasteur Centre.