Senior officials from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and representatives of other international intergovernmental organizations, governments, regional and national enforcement agencies and business will attend the Congress to identify solutions to the escalating problems of counterfeiting and piracy. This will be the first time that the Global Congress has been held outside Europe.

Hosted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and Dubai Customs, the Congress is being co-convened by INTERPOL and WIPO, in co-operation with the world’s business community, represented by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through its BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy) initiative, the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the International Security Management Association (ISMA).

The three-day meeting will focus on a range of key themes, including the health and safety risks that counterfeit products pose to consumers; raising awareness of the full economic and social costs of counterfeiting and piracy; the growing problem of the sale of counterfeit and pirated products over the internet; and, strengthening cooperation and collaboration at the global level.

The Congress will bring together policy makers and experts from more than 60 countries to explore and identify concrete measures and resources to counter the damaging effects of the illegal trade in counterfeit and pirated goods.

The Third Global Congress in January 2007 was hosted by WIPO in Geneva and attracted some 1,000 participants from around the world.