Boakai Submits Eight Major Intellectual Property Treaties for Ratification

By Stephen G. Fellajuah

Monrovia, Liberia – March 4, 2026 — President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has formally sent eight international intellectual property (IP) treaties and protocols to Liberia’s 55thLegislature for ratification, a move hailed by officials as a historic step for the country’s IP governance framework.

The submission, announced during the 15th Day Sitting of the 1st Quarter of the 3rd Session of the Legislature, is aimed at aligning Liberia’s domestic laws with global and regional IP standards, including those set by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), UNESCO, and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

LIPO Director General Hon. Garmai Koboi described the action as “one of the most consequential steps ever taken in the history of IP governance in Liberia,” noting that it provides legal protection for creators, innovators, and farmers who have long lacked full international safeguards.

The treaties forwarded for ratification include:

WIPO Copyright Treaty

WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions

Arusha Protocol for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants

Kampala Protocol on Voluntary Registration of Copyright and Related Rights

UPOV Convention

WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (GRATK Treaty)

According to the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO), ratifying and domesticating these instruments will modernize Liberia’s IP system, strengthen protection for digital and cross-border creations, safeguard traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, and promote agricultural innovation through plant breeders’ rights.

Officials say the submission is part of the government’s ARREST Agenda, specifically Pillar One, Program 7 on Business Enabling Environment, which seeks to build a robust national IP ecosystem.

The move fulfills a commitment President Boakai made during a high-level ARIPO delegation visit in October, promising to ratify outstanding IP instruments promptly. 

Experts say ratification is expected to enhance Liberia’s creative, cultural, and agricultural sectors, attract investment, and position the country as a regional leader in intellectual property protection.