Preserve, promote and protect cultural heritage

By Dumont

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang had an official visit to Mexico from March 24 to 26, 2022 where he met the Secretary of Culture, Secretary of Economy, IP government officials, members of the judiciary, IP professionals and lawyers as well as representatives of indigenous communities, SMEs and start-ups.

Tang said WIPO will support Mexico’s efforts to leverage the intellectual property (IP) system through tailored programs that achieve concrete results, especially by those who have been traditionally underserved by the IP system, namely indigenous communities, women, SMEs and start-ups.

He highlighted a project that WIPO is pioneering with Mexico to support the production of traditional silk – “Seda de Cajonos” from San Pedro Cajonos in the State of Oaxaca . This project is being developed in the context of the WIPO COVID Package aiming at defining and implementing a business strategy, leveraging on the “Seda de Cajonos” geographical indication (GI) and combining it with branding and packaging to help this artisanal heritage product find new markets.

Mr. Tang said GIs are a powerful tool for sustainable development, prosperity and preservation of traditional know-how and local culture. He noted that Mexico has an important tradition of protecting GIs, across spirits, agricultural products and handicrafts. Moreover, IP can have a unifying effect.

Mexico is building a creative economy that is supported by IP. The country has been blessed with a rich culture going back to Pre-Columbian times and is a culture powerhouse. One of the priorities for the government is to preserve, promote and protect its cultural heritage against any unfair exploitation, citing foreign fashion houses that have misappropriated Mexican indigenous designs in the past.