Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 07, 2023 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Sports, the Honourable Samal Duggins, is pleased with the relationship between the Federation and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which launched a unique project focusing on the intersection of Intellectual Property (IP) and sports.

The IP in Sports Project was launched on November 01, 2023, at the Department of Sports Conference Room at Port Zante. It entails a diagnostic review of the nation’s sports ecosystem and enhances awareness and effective use of IP tools in the context of the sports industry.

At the Prime Minister’s Press Conference with Cabinet Ministers on November 07, 2023, Minister Duggins said that this project is very dear to him as he has ministerial responsibility for the creative economy. He noted that previous engagements with WIPO officials set the stage for today’s success.

“When they came back with this project, and they said that St. Kitts and Nevis would be the first, I was extremely delighted because here it is, a very practical approach to intellectual property and its benefits to our people, and it started with sports and it started with St. Kitts and Nevis,” the Minister of Sports stated. “These are the things that we as ministers are here to do. We are here to bring real results to our people…”

Honourable Duggins thanked Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and Attorney-General the Honourable Garth Wilkin for their support in this matter, as well as the staff at the local Intellectual Property Office.

At the WIPO Ministerial Level Meeting for Caribbean Countries on November 06, 2023, Prime Minister Dr. Drew said that the government will continue to “invest in education and training, to nurture our talent, and to provide them with the tools they need to succeed in a globalized world.”