Zambia Becomes Party to Swakopmund Protocol

2nd Floor The Republic of Zambia has become the seventh member state to become party to the Swakopmund Protocol. This was after Zambia deposited Instrument of Ratification with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Zimbabwe, on August 28, 2015. The Member States of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) adopted the Swakopmund Protocol on the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of folklore on August 9, 2010 at Swakopmund in the Republic of Namibia. The protocol entered into force on May 11, 2015. The protocol is meant to “protect creations derived from the exploitation of traditional knowledge in ARIPO member states against misappropriation and illicit use through bio-piracy, within ARIPO.