The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization welcomed the deposit of the instrument of accession of Morocco to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). The said International Convention entered into force in the country on October 8, 2006. Morocco’s accession to the UPOV was already approved on February 16, 2005 by virtue of Royal Decree No. 1.05.21 and was published in the Official Gazette on March 3, 2005.
By way of background, the mission of the UPOV is to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection and aims to encourage the development of new varieties of plants by granting breeders intellectual property right on the basis of a set of clearly defined principles. New varieties of plants enhance food production in a sustainable way, increase income in the agricultural sector, and contribute to overall development.
Morocco is the third Arab country to join the UPOV following the accessions of Jordan and Tunisia.
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