Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), in collaboration with the Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), co-organised in Phnom Penh a workshop on proposed amendments to the Law on Seed Management and Plant Breeders' Rights.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the amendments aim to strengthen the protection of new plant varieties in accordance with international standards and align Cambodia's legal framework with the UPOV Convention. H.E. Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, emphasized the importance of these legal changes at the opening ceremony of the workshop.
The existing Law on Seed Management and Plant Breeders' Rights governs the management and control for use, production, processing, registration, distribution, and import-export of plant varieties as well as the protection of new plant varieties. Under this law, MISTI oversees plant variety protection rights, while MAFF manages all plant varieties in Cambodia.
Minister Vanndy highlighted the significance of intellectual property protection in promoting trade and encouraging research into new crop varieties. He stressed that this protection not only safeguards plant breeders' rights but also promotes Cambodian agricultural products in the domestic market and expands exports to regional and international markets.
The workshop brought together national and international experts from MISTI and MAFF, along with representatives from UPOV, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and JATAFF. The discussions focused on international best practices, the amendment process, and the benefits of UPOV membership for Cambodia.