FAO to assist in drafting new Geographical Indications Law

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- An online consultation was held with the participation of representatives of the Intellectual Property Agency under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on improving national legislation in the field of geographical indications.

The event was organized within the framework of the FAO regional project "Strengthening the Administrative System for the Management and Support of Sustainable Geographical Indications", designed for 2019-2020.

“Geographical indication is a designation used on goods that have a particular geographical origin and have properties or reputation inherent in that place of origin. More generally, a geographical indication consists of the name of the place of origin of goods. A typical example would be agricultural products, the properties of which are due to the place where they are produced and due to special local geographic factors such as climate and soil. The functioning of a sign as a geographical indication is determined by national legislation and consumer perception.

Geographical indications can be used in connection with a wide variety of agricultural products, such as the geographical indication "champagne" informs that this type of sparkling wine comes from the Champagne region of France. Thus, geographical indications are more than just a designation of the source or place of production: it is a certificate of quality, as opposed to the label "Made in ...", which does not indicate specific properties of the product.

There are many reasons for improving legislation in this area. Among the most important are increasing exports to countries where geographical indications are protected and well known to consumers, such as the European Union, and preventing bad practices and misleading consumers in the use of geographical indications. The Intellectual Property Agency under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan with technical support from FAO plans to prepare a draft Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Geographical Indications" this year, taking into account the international experience of the European Union, Moldova, Georgia, Russia, Turkey and France.

The project will lay the foundation for introducing changes in internal administrative procedures and for improving the legal framework. More opportunities will be created to inform both producers and consumers about geographical indications, which is important for both parties. Thus, an established system of management and protection (at the national and international levels of geographical indications will allow manufacturers to obtain socio-economic benefits from the use of geographical indications, and consumers, in turn, will receive a guarantee that this or that product is of excellent quality and unique properties.

“FAO has many years of experience in supporting Albania, Serbia, the Russian Federation, Montenegro, Tajikistan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in developing rural areas and increasing food exports using geographical indications, and we are pleased to support Uzbekistan in this direction,” said the Deputy Representative FAO in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov.

FAO is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, whose main mission is to fight hunger and ensure food security. Founded in 1945, FAO today has 194 member countries.

Uzbekistan became a member of FAO in 2001. In 2014, a representative office of the organization was opened in Tashkent. According to the Framework for Cooperation, which defined the 2022 action plan, FAO provides support in three priority areas agreed with the Government of Uzbekistan: institutional and strategic support to the Ministry of Agriculture and other government agencies; agriculture and food chain development and market access; and sustainable management of natural resources, climate change and biodiversity.