CLDP was joined by several US, European and West African experts in organizing this workshop in Bamako, Mali, May 17-18, 2011.  The program addressed the scope of the challenges in combating trade in counterfeit products such as medicines, vaccines and pesticides, their impact on public health and the environment, the social and economic impact counterfeits are having on the country; the role of regulatory agencies in inspection, regulation and enforcement activities,  investigating intellectual property crime involving counterfeit medicines and other health and safety products; prosecuting intellectual property crimes, trafficking, illicit labeling and packaging of counterfeit medicines.

The two-day workshop exposed 175 enforcement officials and private sector representatives to the importance of intellectual property protection, its impact on the country’s economies and the international standards of protection to be attained.  It showcased the skills and mechanisms needed to promote greater communication and coordination among IP enforcement agencies in the country.  CLDP worked in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Environmental Protection Agency and their Malian counterparts, as well as the “Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle” (OAPI), the International Institute Against the Counterfeiting of Medicines, U.S. Pharmacopeia and CropLife.

The exercise sought to further develop the quality of intellectual property protection in Mali by the following means: 1) Improving the skill and knowledge level of the Customs and police officials charged with the enforcement of intellectual property rights, in order to meet the international levels of IP protection set by the WTO Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement; 2) Facilitating cooperation and coordination between enforcement agencies in the country and within the West Africa region; 3) Producing a framework for harmonized cooperation on procedures and communication between customs service, the judiciary and police force and enable better identification and interdiction of counterfeit and pirated products crossing Mali’s borders.

Specific Output included: (1) identifying for customs officials the key indicators of products being counterfeit; (2) determining the main current obstacles to effective application of IPR border measures and judicial enforcement of IPR in Mali; (3) determining institutional and legislative actions required to improve the efficiency of IPR enforcement in Mali in the focus areas; and (4) fostering a relationship between the private sector and Customs Service of Mali to discuss both issues of identification of counterfeit and pirated products and effective enforcement of the relevant rights.