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Honourable
Titus Songiso Mvalo, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Malawi, spearheaded
a visit to the ARIPO Secretariat in Harare on 15 April 2025 for a substantive engagement with the
leading regional intellectual property rights office.
The
Minister led a high-profile delegation, which included Mr. Allison Mbangombe,
Solicitor General and Secretary of Justice; Mr. Samson Ngutwa, Clerk of
Cabinet; and Mr. Chikumbutso Namelo, Registrar General. The visit was further
supported by the presence of Rtd. General Peter Namathanga, the Ambassador of
Malawi to Zimbabwe, highlighting a unified commitment from Malawian leadership
towards enhancing the intellectual property (IP) rights system for their economy.
The
delegation was welcomed by the ARIPO Director General, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze,
leading into high level discussions. In his remarks, Honourable Mvalo cited
that “It is important for the Ministers in the Member States to visit ARIPO and
have this experiential connection to the organization, apart from the bi-annual
Council of Ministers’ meetings.”
Honourable
Mvalo explained Malawi’s commitment to the development of intellectual property
and officially announced that the Parliament in Malawi passed the Companies,
Registrations and Intellectual Property Centre Bill into law, which “seeks to
transform the Registrar General Department into a parastatal- as a
semi-autonomous agency of Government.”
“The
creation of the IP office under the Companies, Registration and Intellectual
Property Centre also speaks to our Malawi 2063, which has placed creativity,
particularly scientific creativity, and innovation as enablers to achieving the
three pillars of Agricultural Productivity and commercialization,
Industrialization and Urbanization, as the blueprint for transforming Malawi
into a higher middle-income country”, said Honourable Mvalo.
DG
Bemanya Twebaze also commended the Government of Malawi for transforming its
Intellectual Property Office into a semi-autonomous government agency. This
strategic move is expected to enhance operational efficiency and responsiveness
in managing IP rights within the country.
Articulating
ARIPO’s commitment to supporting Member States, DG Bemanya Twebaze advised the
Honourable Minister of ARIPO’s customization approach, detailing ongoing
support for Malawi. “ARIPO has also recently partnered with Malawi’s academic
and research institutions to hold a seminar at Mzuzu University aimed at
raising awareness of IP’s role in innovation. Furthermore, in collaboration
with the Office of the Registrar General, ARIPO is planning to conduct
sensitization sessions for ARIPO system users on available e-services. This
will ensure the efficient administration of IP rights”, said the ARIPO Director
General.
The
ARIPO DG congratulated Malawi on taking many significant strides in
intellectual property governance. Notably, Malawi became the first country to
ratify the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaty on
Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge
in 2024. This landmark achievement underscores Malawi’s proactive approach to
safeguarding its genetic resources and traditional knowledge.
Another
critical point discussed during the meeting was Malawi's alignment of national
legislation with regional IP frameworks. The domestic implementation of the
Banjul Protocol through the 2018 Trademarks Act represents a significant step
forward in harmonizing national laws with regional standards. This alignment
not only strengthens Malawi’s legal framework but also facilitates better
cooperation among member states within ARIPO.
Minister
Mvalo expressed gratitude for ARIPO's support and emphasized that these
developments are part of a broader strategy to build a thriving intellectual
property rights system that benefits all Malawians. He reiterated that strong
IP protections are essential for fostering innovation and creativity in various
sectors, including agriculture, arts, and technology, describing ARIPO as “a
catalyst to development”.