The World Customs Organization (WCO) organized a Regional Operational Workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Border Enforcement for the WCO Americas and Caribbean (AMS) region, in cooperation with Uruguay Customs and the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB).  The Workshop was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 3 to 7 April 2017.

Twenty officers from 17 countries within the AMS region benefitted from the financial support of the Japan Customs Cooperation Fund (CCF/Japan), and successfully completed the Workshop.  WCO tools, such as the Risk Management Compendium, the Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), the WCO IPR Model Legislation and the Module on Risk Indicators for Spurious/Falsely-Labelled/Falsified/Counterfeit (SFFC) Medicines, were the main topics covered by the Workshop. Cooperation with the private sector and implementation of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in the region were also discussed.

The results of and lessons learned from operations carried out in the region were shared with participants.  In addition, some participants presented IPR case studies on new procedures and challenges faced in the fight against counterfeiting, giving rise to discussions on the region’s specific needs. 

The theory taught was put into practice during a field exercise in the port of Montevideo.  One container was selected and then inspected by the team.  The inspection resulted in the discovery of counterfeit versions of various popular brands. 

On the last day, participants gave presentations on the lessons learned during the field exercise and discussed the way forward.

The Workshop helped participants identify existing gaps within their current IPR enforcement systems and ways to close them.  The operational approach adopted by the Workshop was greatly appreciated.