Relationships between the two countries in the IP field have been officially established since 07/7/1999 with Switzerland - Vietnam Agreement on IP Protection and Cooperation in the IP field. Accordingly, Switzerland has coordinated with Vietnam to implement the Special Cooperation Program (SPC) with the total budget of about USD 1.8 million funded by Swiss Government. SPC (implemented from 2001 to 2006) achieved encouraging results, contributed an important part to the development and improvement of Vietnam’s IP system appropriate with standards set by the World Trade Organization.
Following the success of SPC, Swiss Government has decided to continue supports to Vietnam for improving capacities of the national IP system through Switzerland – Vietnam project on IP (SVIP). SVIP has been implemented for the 3 year duration (6/2007 – 6/2010) with the budget of USD 1 million and considered as the second phase of cooperation relationships in IP between the two countries after SPC. The Project’s content consisted of the promotion of IP activities in universities, establishment and development of geographical instructions for Vietnamese products.
After the 3-year implementation, the Project has gained significant results with 100% completed work as developing legal regulations on IP protection in fields of pharmacy, gene, bio-diversification; organizing 20 workshops, training courses in many provinces nationwide; training for 80 Vietnamese officials in foreign countries on IP right enforcement, protection of geographical instructions and advocacy on IP; supporting VIFOTEC to successfully organize innovation contests for students… Vietnamese enterprises have improved their capacities in exploitation and use of technical expertise and modern technology, improved their competitiveness; farmers have been guided to know how to increase values of their labor achievements through the protection system of geographical instructions; traditional knowledge, folk culture can bring in many benefits for people in far and remote areas…
Making a speech at the Ceremony, Mr. Alain Burdet sent his congratulations and highly appreciated Vietnam’s successes and active changes in IP field. He affirmed that the Project ended today but the good cooperation between the two countries certainly would be continued to develop.
Deputy Minister Lê Đình Tiến expressed his sincere thanks to Swiss Government for its special sponsor during the last decade. The Deputy Minister said that “Leaders of Ministry of Science and Technology have always paid attention, monitored the Project implementation and already provided timely guidance to ensure the Project’s objectives. We are very happy and pleased with gained achievements within the framework of SPC and SVIP project. SPC and SVIP project are evidences of the efficient and goodwill cooperation between the two countries”.