WIPO is a global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation. It is a self-funding agency of the United Nations, with 192 member states, whose mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. The organization’s mandate, governing bodies and procedures are set out in the WIPO Convention, which established WIPO in 1967.
In line with WIPO’s Development Agenda, in 2012 the organization’s Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) created the IP Development Matchmaking Database (IP-DMD), an online tool that matches seekers of specific IP-related development needs with potential providers offering resources. Serving as a facilitator of cooperation and a space for publicizing successful matches, the tool represented an expansion of the scope of the organization’s technical assistance programs, amplifying its resources and multiplying existing partnerships.
WIPO Match is not only a platform for technical assistance projects, but also a platform which can bring new opportunities for integrated IP and innovation related projects (public-private partnership), and South-South Cooperation projects. A “Match ” happens when the interaction between two or more parties results into a “mutual agreement” to collaborate on a specific project. Depending on topic, interest or particular need of the seeker and potential offer by the donor, there are three different types of Match:
- Financial support
- Technical support
- Public-private partnership
WIPO seeks to engage different donors and organizations looking to solve issues related to development and intellectual property. Depending on the countries involved, matches can be represent either South-South Cooperation or Triangular cooperation. The idea behind WIPO Match and the organization’s goal as a whole is to leverage intellectual property and use it as a tool for the development of nations of the South.
