Government officials convene for African Ministerial Conference 2015

Government officials from all over Africa convened Nov. 3 for the three-day African Ministerial Conference 2015 in Dakar.

This year's event, titled "Intellectual Property for an Emerging Africa," was attended by Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Senegal Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry. The three leaders highlighted how crucial intellectual property is to spurring innovation and creativity on the continent, which will lead to economic and social development.

"Ultimately, the source of all innovation and creativity is human,” Gurry said. “And Africa is the cradle of humanity, so it is in this sense the origin of all innovation and creativity that characterizes our species as human beings.”

Gurib-Fakim said there were many prospects for economic growth over the next 10 years, making it imperative that Africa protect intellectual property rights.

"In this globally fiercely competitive international economic landscape, the creation and management, including protection of knowledge, will be central to building and spearheading wealth creation and integration in the global economy,” she said.

She also added that the continent needed to focus on the areas of science and technology for innovative development.

“There is urgency for public policy debate, coordination, integration and the involvement of all stakeholders in order to frame new ways to foster the development of intangibles and to promote innovation and creativity,” Gurib-Fakim said.

And Dionne concurred with Gurib-Fakim, saying, “Innovation is the basis of all development."