AmCham held a roundtable in Skopje yesterday on advancing the protection of intellectual property. The discussion focused on the role of the National Coordinating Body and how its work can ensure more effective protection in this area.
The event brought together representatives of institutions, the business community and experts. Welcome remarks were delivered by Barnabas Birkeland, representative of the U.S. Embassy in North Macedonia, and Edval Zoto, Program Manager at the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE).
“For companies, it is extremely important to have a coordinated system that protects their innovations, brands and investments. Effective protection of intellectual property rights creates certainty, encourages investment in new products, technologies and creative solutions, and contributes strongly to fair market competition. The National Coordinating Body can play a significant role in this process, and AmCham stands ready to contribute the expertise and practical experience of its members, in partnership with the competent institutions,” said Jelena Arsovska, Executive Director of AmCham.
The central discussion was moderated by Ana Pepeljugoska, Chair of AmCham’s Intellectual Property Working Group. Participants agreed that the National Coordinating Body, which has delivered significant results in the past, has the potential to once again contribute to more effective protection of intellectual property.
The main priorities identified were the regular functioning of the National Coordinating Body, a system for centralized information exchange among institutions, training for institutions, and raising public awareness of the importance of intellectual property.
For these priorities to translate into concrete results, the work of the National Coordinating Body should be based on a clear annual program with defined objectives, responsibilities and monitoring of implementation. Active institutional support and a proactive approach will be particularly important to ensure continuity in its work. Only then can the Body contribute to more effective protection of rights and a more secure business environment.
“The protection of intellectual property is our shared interest: of the state, the business community and every citizen. Today’s discussion showed that there is a strong will among institutions and the private sector to work together. And where there is a will, there is a way,” concluded Ana Pepeljugoska, summarizing the discussion.
The event was held as part of the project “Strengthening Advocacy Capacities for Effective Participation in Policymaking,” supported by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in Washington, D.C., and implemented by the American Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia.
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