WCO
Headquarters
Brussels,
Belgium
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The
First Global Congress to Combat Counterfeiting was held at WCO
Headquarters in Brussels, 25 - 26 May, 2004.
The World
Customs Organisation and Interpol, with the support and participation
of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, hosted the First
Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting. The congress was
held in co-operation with the Global Business Leaders Alliance
Against Counterfeiting (GBLAAC), the International Trademark Association
(INTA), the International Security Management Association (ISMA)
and some member companies of the World Customs Organisation's
IPR Strategic Group (WCOIPR).
The purpose
of the congress was to develop a collective understanding of the
extent of the counterfeit problem, identify effective measures
of governments and the private sector in anti-counterfeiting and
work, generate ideas for further co-operation and begin to identify
solutions that will make a real difference in the coming decade.
There was
an urgent need for such a global congress. The worldwide trade
in counterfeit products is increasing dramatically in size and
scope, and it is increasingly controlled by organised criminal
networks. Counterfeiting now represents real threats to global
security, consumer health and safety, economic development and
good governance.
The congress
provided an opportunity for leaders from the public and private
sectors to analyze the social and economic impact of counterfeiting
and shape future enforcement strategies and actions.The programme
was organised as a high-level, interactive event. It included
keynote addresses, plenary sessions and roundtables structured
in a way that helped generate constructive debate and, ultimately,
concrete recommendations on new methods and initiatives for addressing
counterfeiting at the national, regional and global levels. The
congress intended to provide the foundations for more effective
co-operation and communication among governments, inter-overnmental
organisations and industry.
Discussions
focused on the following:
- Developing
a consensus on the full dimensions and related costs of counterfeiting
to consumers, governments and industry.
- Developing
common understandings of the prevailing attitudes of governments,
the private sector and consumers towards counterfeiting.
- Generating
common understandings of what is being done and what more needs
to be done in the fight against counterfeiting.
- Examining
and understanding current international instruments for co-operation
among governments in enforcement work, and identifying enhancements
required for strengthening enforcement efforts.
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