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Sierra Leone is set to deepen its international partnerships following fresh engagements expected in China and Geneva, as the country intensifies efforts to modernise its intellectual property system and expand opportunities for economic growth.
The development follows the active participation of Sierra Leone’s Administrator and Registrar General, Martina Baindu Egbenda, at the 2026 Women and Intellectual Property Symposium held in Geneva from 11 to 13 May.
The high-level forum, organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization under its Gender Action Plan, brought together representatives of member states to discuss ways of increasing women’s participation in intellectual property systems and innovation worldwide.
During the symposium, Ms. Egbenda engaged in bilateral discussions with officials of the WIPO Academy, where strategic cooperation aimed at strengthening Sierra Leone’s intellectual property office and enhancing institutional reforms was explored.
Officials say the outcome of the Geneva meetings is expected to pave the way for technical support, capacity-building programmes, and stronger international collaboration for Sierra Leone in the coming months.
Further engagements scheduled in China and Geneva are also anticipated to create additional opportunities for knowledge exchange, investment dialogue, and reforms that position intellectual property as a key pillar of national development.
Speaking during the symposium, Ms. Egbenda called for more practical support to member states, including fast-track procedures for women-led intellectual property applications, model legal templates, and guidelines for gender-responsive intellectual property offices.
She also urged that intellectual property be integrated into national gender policies, STEM education, and entrepreneurship programmes, stressing that innovation and creativity should be recognised as central drivers of inclusive economic transformation.
Recent reforms in Sierra Leone include plans to establish a Collective Management Organisation to improve copyright administration, as well as the launch of Intellectual Property School Clubs to build awareness among young people.
Observers say the upcoming engagements in China and Geneva reflect Sierra Leone’s growing determination to expand its international presence while using innovation, trade, and intellectual property reforms to accelerate sustainable development.
