Côte d’Ivoire will host Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in Abidjan on June 4 and 5, 2026, for the Conference of Heads of Intellectual Property Offices of the OAPI Region (HIPOC). This high-level meeting brings together the heads of intellectual property offices from the 17 member states of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) to strengthen regional cooperation and promote discussions on strategic issues related to intellectual property, innovation, competitiveness, and economic development.

The presence of the WIPO Director General underscores the importance placed on developing innovation ecosystems and strengthening mechanisms for protecting creations, trademarks, patents, and inventions in the African region. The conference will examine current challenges and prospects for modernizing intellectual property systems to better support the competitiveness of African economies.

Through the Ivorian Intellectual Property Office (OIPI), the national body responsible for promoting and enhancing intellectual property, Côte d’Ivoire continues its efforts to make innovation, creativity, and the protection of intangible assets essential drivers of its economic and industrial development.

Hosting this conference in Abidjan presents a strategic opportunity for Côte d’Ivoire to reaffirm its commitment to an environment conducive to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the emergence of a knowledge-based economy, while also contributing to strengthening cooperation between OAPI member states, WIPO, and all institutional partners involved in promoting intellectual property for sustainable development, innovation, and the economic transformation of the continent.