Geneva (VNA) - Vietnam’scoordinating role and proactiveness as Chair of the World Intellectual PropertyOrganisation (WIPO) General Assembly in 2018-2019 have been internationallyhailed, according to Ambassador Duong Chi Dung.

That Vietnam is taking the presidency of theWIPO in 2018-2019 is one of the effective steps to implement Directive 25 ofthe Party Secretariat on promoting multilateral external affairs through 2030, Dungsaid in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the59th session of the WIPO General Assembly from September 30 toOctober 9.

He said the fourth industrial revolution(Industry 4.0) has exerted profound impact on production methods, business, andconsumption as well as global politics and security, adding that knowledge,scientific and technological accomplishments, and innovative ideas have becomethe main driving force for economic growth of all WIPO member countries.

New production methods require the WIPO toreform itself, Dung said, adding that Industry 4.0 also poses challenges indatabase management and operation.

Additionally, there is still a big difference inthe protection viewpoints and policies of countries due to development gapsbetween developed, developing and underdeveloped ones.

Industry 4.0 will create developmentopportunities for all nations, especially developing ones, if they know toapply new science-technology achievements, Dung said.

However, this revolution could also makedeveloping and underdeveloped countries lag behind further if they cannotoptimise opportunities, he stressed.

As the competition between nations in the worldhas become fiercer, they have to revise and adjust their development strategies,the ambassador said, stressing that the Politburo’s resolution on joiningIndustry 4.0 dated on September 29, 2019, and the earlier introduction of thenational strategy on intellectual property through 2030 dated on August 22,2019 create an important step to promote innovation, creativity, and a strongintellectual property protection system. 

WIPO is Vietnam's first and most importantpartner in international cooperation on intellectual property, the diplomataffirmed. Annually, the organisation conducts many technical cooperation activitiesfor developing countries and Vietnam is one of the biggest recipients ofprojects focusing on policy building and law making in intellectual property,capacity improvement, modernisation of intellectual property management system,and human resources development.

The building of the national strategy onintellectual property through 2030 with the technical assistance of WIPO hasmarked a new development in the field, affirming intellectual property is animportant tool to promote innovation activities as well as nationalsocio-economic and cultural development, Dung added./.