Consultant for Review of Ethiopia’s Legislation on Geographical Indication

Ethiopia is undertaking different preparatory activities in view of ensuring integration into the global trading system, as a full member of World Trade Organization (WTO). One of the key objectives of the government of Ethiopia in relation to the WTO agreement is to facilitate the integration of the national economy into the international trade system and maximize the benefits from WTO membership for the realization of the objectives of the country’s development strategy.   However, as the experiences of other WTO acceded countries show, the accession process is so complex which demands various preparations, most of which are  related to reviewing of existing laws, regulations  and developing  proper laws such as  Geographical indications (GIs). Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO), which was established in 2003 by Proclamation No. 320/2003, is working hard to initiate policies and legislative action in relation to IPR, to implement IPR related laws and review the existing laws in light of the appropriate international conventions, laws and treaties.  As part of its attempt to discharge its responsibilities, EIPO is trying its level best and working with other national and international development partners to make progress in this regard. The current call for individual consultant to submit technical and financial proposal on review of the draft geographical indication law of the country is one of the great jobs done by EIPO towards capacitating the country in its effort to join the WTO membership. Hence, this technical proposal is a response for the call of EIPO to submit and considered in the process of procuring relevant individual consultancy service. The individual consultant is expected to handle the assigned task of assessing the draft legislation document in line with the existing trade related laws, international property rights, TRIPS and other international standards and norms.

Duties and Responsibilities

To review and assess the existing draft Geographical Indication law of Ethiopia mainly according to TRIPS Agreement article 22 and 24 and also in comparison with other bench marked country’s GI law. More over to review the GI draft according to the WIPO international standards Scope of the Consultancy Service The following laws and regulations will be reviewed: The prevalent law of IPRs in Ethiopia and related rules and regulations Articles related to TRIPS agreement The potential impact of applying the TRIPS Agreement on IPRs and GIs of Ethiopia.  Deliverables  The Consultancy Service to be rendered shall produce; Chapter by chapter submission of the draft report to the client for further comment and follow up A day long Power Point Presentation by consultant to EIPO and relevant Government Institutions. Final  narrative discussion report produced on the draft GIs legislation as per the WIPO standard Comparing the experiences of other selected countries with the IPR system of Ethiopia.  Collecting relevant information from official websites of WIPO, WTO and UN international law codification department   Consultancy Service Process Follow Up An inception report shall be made up on the commencement of the service to client Chapter by Chapter submission of the draft will be made to facilitate follow up of the client and in view of getting timely feedback from professionals and leaders of EIPO

Competencies

Core values and Guiding principles: Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct. Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work. Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity. Core Competencies: Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative. Team Work: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Communicating and Information Sharing:   Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication. Functional competencies: Ability to plan, prioritize and deliver a variety of tasks on time Exercise sound judgment/analysis Ability to develop creative solutions Ability to provide constructive coaching and feedback for others

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Minimum of LLM in International Law  Experience: More than Seven Years of Experience Language: English Note: Apart from the years of experience  the consultant is expected to have publications on Intellectual property law or any related areas that may indicate his/her competence and ability to handle this challenging assignment which requires an international standard. FC: 04000

http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=36045