The Geographical Indications Series

During 2017-2018 the Round Tables became the Geographical Indications Series. With participation by the World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO") and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization ("FAO"), the Series began with an explanation of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications (administered by WIPO) and FAO’s on-going work on GIs and the role of GIs for development. Later programs in the Series featured a speaker from the WTO, who described various aspects of the TRIPS treatment of GIs, including outstanding issues. Then Embassy representatives described the varying regional and national treatments of GIs.  The Series ended with a return to a discussion by FAO. Two new issues were introduced, brief case studies from Africa and ideas about how to bridge the US-EU divide regarding geographical indications.