WIPO and Peru Launch New Project for Indigenous Children

By Espinosa Bellido Abogados

Named “Uchi CreActivo: Sowing Value Through IP in the Awajun Children”, the project is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of protecting the stories and drawings of children and adolescents of the indigenous community. Currently more than 100 children have registered their creative works in Amazonas region under the program.

The National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi) of Peru will implement the project under WIPO’s COVID-19 Response Package as it will build local capacities to replicate this successful experience in other regions of the country, especially those heavily impacted by the pandemic. The project comprises three phases:

-An IP Playhouse and educational games for Awajún children, providing tailored IP knowledge with a focus on collective knowledge, cultural heritage, and artistic expressions;

-The development of IP commercialization strategies for selected traditional knowledge-based products created by Awajún children; and

-A mentoring program for Indecopi’s regional offices to replicate the experience with Awajún children in other regions of Peru.

The WIPO’s COVID-19 Response Package aims to help member states deal with the pandemic, as well as leverage intellectual property to support creativity, innovation and the entrepreneurship needed for job creation, investment, enterprise growth and socio-economic development.