KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and ASEAN-member countries have organised a joint exhibition in conjunction with the 65th General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Themed "Creative, Sustainable ASEAN", the exhibition, which is from July 9 to 17, aims to promote the creative industry and intellectual property products from ASEAN-member countries.
Held for the first time, the exhibition was visited by about 1,000 delegates attending the WIPO General Assembly.
Malaysia's participation in the exhibition was led by the Malaysian Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO) and the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the United Nations in Geneva.
In a statement to Bernama, the Permanent Mission of Malaysia in Geneva said the intellectual property products highlighted were related to the creative industry and traditional heritage arts, as well as national culture, such as batik and Malaysian handicrafts.
In addition, products that have been recognised as Geographical Indications, such as Bario rice, Sarawak pepper, Sarawak layer cake, Melaka dodol and Terengganu songket are also on display.
The company, Ruzzgahara, representing the Malaysian Craft Association also participated in the exhibition to help promote Malaysian batik and handicrafts.
The highlight of the exhibition was the reception organised by ASEAN-member countries yesterday where Malaysia performed traditional Malay dances such as Zapin and Joget.
As a member country, Malaysia and WIPO have enjoyed close ties and cooperation since 1989.
"In addition to receiving benefits through the agreements administered by WIPO, Malaysia also cooperates with the organisation in various aspects of the development and advancement of the country's intellectual property ecosystem, especially through capacity-building programmes and technical assistance," according to the statement.
The statement added that the Permanent Mission of Malaysia in Geneva played an important role in ensuring Malaysia's involvement in WIPO's various agendas and initiatives at the international level, in line with the country's commitment to continue developing the potential of intellectual property as the main catalyst and engine of national growth.
In addition to increasing competitiveness, innovation and knowledge, intellectual property plays an important role in supporting economic and social development and prosperity in Malaysia.
It is also consistent with Malaysia's desire to reach the level of a developed country and preserve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. – BERNAMA