From 17 to 21 February 2020, the World Customs Organization (WCO) and Cuban General Customs organized a National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Workshop. Twenty one Customs officers and representatives from the Cuban IP Office and the Ministry of External Trade & Investment participated in the Workshop, which took place in Havana, Cuba. 

Various representatives of international and national brands provided training on how to recognize a genuine from a fake product. During the practical training in the port of Mariel, the importance of the cooperation between Customs and the IP Office was highlighted and a better access to information of registered brands in Cuba was established. WCO's tools like the Risk Management Compendium, the CLiKC! e-learning platform and the CEN were presented.

The main focus of the Workshop was awareness raising on the dangers counterfeit goods pose to the health and safety of citizens and their economic consequences. The training was well received and a discussion on the way forward and on how to implement the existing legislation and procedures. The Cuban IP Office will assist in future IPR trainings for Customs officers.