Protection of Moroccan cultural heritage: Working session between Mr. Bensaid and the DG of WIPO

by times news cr

During this meeting, Mr. Bensaid highlighted the special attention paid by the Kingdom of Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to multilateral cooperation with international organizations in various fields, including the protection of intellectual property and cultural heritage.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the minister reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to partnership and bilateral action in this area, recalling that Morocco, in accordance with the High directives of His Majesty the King, has carried out a series of initiatives aimed at the protection and preservation of its heritage.

In this regard, he cited the institutionalization of the Morocco Label, the development of a new legislative text relating to cultural heritage, the strengthening of the institutional framework of the Moroccan Office of Copyright and Related Rights as a public establishment and the consolidation of the legal arsenal relating to the right of traceability and copyright.

Mr. Bensaid also gave an overview of the reforms initiated by Morocco in the field of intellectual property protection and the preservation of cultural heritage, whether tangible or intangible, a project that the Department of Culture is working on in concert with other ministries.

He also emphasized the actions taken for a greater presence of the Kingdom with the competent international bodies, first and foremost UNESCO.

This meeting was also an opportunity for the two parties to discuss other issues such as the video game industry as well as Morocco’s efforts to better integrate into this market which generates, globally, more than 300 million dollars in revenue, the statement added, noting that this presence will promote access for Moroccan skills to economic integration opportunities.

Among the projects undertaken in this direction, the minister mentioned the creation of an ecosystem of electronic games and the organization of an international video games fair planned for next May.

For his part, Mr. Tang congratulated Morocco for its efforts in the field of intellectual property, noting that the Kingdom is considered among the leading countries in this area internationally.

The Director General of WIPO noted that cooperation between the Organization and Morocco is very developed, welcoming the results of his last visit to the Kingdom and expressing his desire to further develop these cooperative relations.

He stressed that WIPO supports Morocco in its efforts to safeguard its art of living and its intangible cultural heritage, recalling the registration of Zellige by Morocco with the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2016, considered as an international recognition of Moroccan Zellige by this international organization.

The statement further indicates that the two parties agreed to continue coordination and to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening cooperation between Morocco and this organization, on the occasion of the WIPO Assemblies, scheduled for next July.

This working meeting was held in the presence of members of the office of the Director General of WIPO, the Director of Communication at the Organization, the Director of Religious Heritage at the Department of Culture, the Director of the Moroccan Office of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, as well as members of the Permanent Mission of Morocco to the UN in Geneva.

2024-09-19 21:48:16

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