Morocco and Israel signed their first memorandum of understanding (MoU) on intellectual property (IP) in Geneva on Monday.
The signing was held on the sidelines of the 63rd series of meetings of the assemblies of the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Director-General of the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property Abdelaziz Baqiqi and the Executive Director of the Israel Patent Office, Ofir Alon, signed the agreement in the presence of WIPO Director-General Daren Tang.
Morocco’s Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Omar Zniber and Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Meirav Eilon Shahar chaired the signing ceremony, which was attended by several heads of diplomatic missions and figures representing international organizations in Geneva.
The MoU aims to provide mechanisms for promoting cooperation in the field of industrial property protection.
It seeks to develop knowledge exchange and information sharing between the two national IP offices, and providing assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of industrial property protection.
The agreement is valid for a five-year period and can be automatically renewed for the same period.
Baqiqi said Rabat is committed to building a strong IP system because it is convinced that it plays a key role in achieving economic, social, and technological development.
He pointed out that the kingdom had recently adopted strategy 2022-2026 to enhance the IP system and support the innovation trend to achieve the sustainable development goals.
Shahar, for her part, said the agreement will enable entrepreneurs and innovators to build a more prosperous and sustainable future for future generations in Israel and Morocco.
“We value this bilateral cooperation and will work to expand it throughout the multilateral arena from Geneva,” she added.
