FAISALABAD, April 13: University of Agriculture vice-chancellor Dr Bashir Ahmad has stressed the need to launch a vigorous campaign for creating awareness about the intellectual property rights (IPR), establishment of its offices and restructuring of the system to get the desired results.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of week-long workshop on ‘Intellectual Property Rights’ organised by the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council in collaboration with APO Japan and NPO Pakistan here on Thursday.

He said in order to meet the ever-increasing requirements of patenting and to stave off any infringement and bio-piracy, the IPR rules and regulations were required to be in place. Plant breeders act was still awaiting approval by the National Assembly.

He maintained that farmers and communities were ignorant of IPRs with respect to plant variety, traditional knowledge and geographical indications. Data base with regard to genetic resources and other specialties of a country also had importance in order to justify their claims, he added.

He said the agreement on trade related aspect of IPR of the WTO had required all WTO members to introduce at least a minimum level of protection in their national laws for plant varieties and inventions in bio-technology.

Prof Ahmad said the least developed countries would bring their national IPR laws up to the TRIPS standards till 2013.

Dr Muhammad Saeed, programme officer of Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), Japan, read the message of APO secretary general.

He said it was an important event to share the experience for enhancing mutual understanding on subjects of common interest. He hoped that a multiplier effect could be achieved and the work of the APO could benefit a large number of people in member countries.

Workshop organiser Abdul Haye Qureshi said the participants had shared their knowledge with each other to create a better understanding on the issues like IPR. He thanked the delegates from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.