President Jokowi Receives Director General of WIPO

President Jokowi receives courtessy call from Director General of WIPO at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (19/9) afternoon (Photo: PR/Agung)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo accompanied by Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs A. M. Fachir received courtessy call from the Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry who was accompanied by two officials of WIPO, at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday (19/9) afternoon.

Minister Yasonna H. Laoly explained that the Director General came to Indonesia because he was invited by the Government of Indonesia to enhance the cooperation between WIPO and the Government, in particular in terms of WIPO’s support to IP National Strategy.

“So far, we have a very close and good ties. October last year, we have established an MoU with the Director General in Geneva about IP National Strategy,” Yasonna told the journalists, in press conference room of the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Monday (19/9) afternoon.

On that meeting, according to Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, both parties discuss the effort to improve innovations so we can move from resources-based economy to innovation-based economy as well as knowledge-based economy.

“We must encourage to create innovations to support economic growth. With help from WIPO, the Government hoped that biodiversity sector, including geographical indication will be recognized so it will bring benefits to small and medium enterprises,” Yasonna said.

Innovation

In the meantime, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto said that in the meeting, President Jokowi has stressed that future digital-based economic development will have a great role in developing the future Indonesia’s innovation-based economy.

“Therefore, intellectual property is important,” the President said.

Regarding the development of e-market place industry which bases are business to business and consumer to consumer, this sector needs an innovation as well as intellectual property in which WIPO can be one of the pillars.

In regards to bio-industry that has high added value and health industry which raw materials for this industry can be easily found here, Minister Airlangga said that the originial form as well as the location of the materials will be recognized.

“Therefore, our potential will be known by others,” Airlangga Hartarto said