About ARIPO

The African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO)

The African Regional Intellectual property organization is an intergovernmental organisation established by the LUSAKA agreement in 1976. The main objective for establishing ARIPO is to pull resource of the member states together, for the promotion, development and use of intellectual property for economic development. Currently ARIPO has 19 member states with its headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. Article III of the Lusaka agreement mandates ARIPO to establish schemes for the training of staff in administration of Intellectual Property laws, organise training seminars and other meetings in intellectual property matters and promote the exchange of ideas and experience as well as conduct research studies in the field of Intellectual Property (IP). Through the ARIPO academy, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization provides capacity building activities for the development of intellectual property systems in its member states and Africa as a whole.