At the invitation of President Ion Iliescu,
members of WIPO’s Policy Advisory Commission (PAC)
(list available) discussed the importance
of cultural industries to national economies and the strategic exploitation
of intellectual property for development. Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), noted that the PAC "has
become a fundamental part of the fabric of … the intellectual property
protection system" and thanked President Iliescu for the generous
invitation to host the PAC meeting which in bringing together
such eminent individuals, clearly demonstrated the growing importance of
intellectual property for economic growth and wealth creation.
In addressing the Commission, President Iliescu underlined the importance
of WIPO’s leading role in promoting the strategic use of IP to promote
social, economic and cultural development and outlined his country’s
commitment to the use of IP to further national strategic economic
objectives and referred, in particular, to the recent adoption by the
Romanian Government of a national IP strategy.
Bilateral Meeting - At a meeting on the sidelines of the PAC,
the strategic importance of intellectual property
in promoting national economic objectives was the focus of talks between
President Ion Iliescu and Dr. Kamil Idris who agreed on the importance of the
intellectual property system in advancing a country’s national economic
strategy. The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mircea Geoana,
also participated in the meeting.
President Iliescu outlined his country’s commitment to the use of
intellectual property to promote sustainable national economic, social
and cultural development and made particular reference to the Romanian
Government’s adoption on November 13 of a national IP strategy.
President Iliescu also underlined the importance of developing Romania’s
knowledge and cultural assets to promote sustained economic growth and
improve Romania’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.