From 4 to 8 April 2022, the World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a comprehensive diagnostic mission on combating counterfeiting and piracy for the Kazakhstan State Revenue Committee.

The aim of this mission, sponsored by the Regional Office for Capacity Building (ROCB) for Europe, was to produce a report on the implementation status of the country’s various instruments related to lPR protection. Diagnostic reports make non-binding recommendations regarding the best practices applicable at national level, taking into account a country’s socio-economic framework. As a reminder, this mission is one of the actions designed to ensure effective implementation of the WCO IPR Strategy 2020, which places a high priority on capacity-building activities in general and diagnostic missions in particular.

In his welcome address, Mr Jumagulov Kairat Karimovich, Deputy Chairman of the Kazakhstan State Revenue Committee, thanked the WCO Secretariat and the ROCB Europe for organizing this IPR diagnostic mission, acknowledging its importance for his country. He also recalled Kazakhstan’s customary and active participation in the WCO’s activities, before sharing his best wishes for a successful mission. The Director of the ROCB Europe welcomed this mission, reaffirming his continued willingness to support Members of the WCO Europe region through capacity-building activities.

During the mission, new IPR-related instruments and tools were presented by the WCO Secretariat, namely the IPR CENcomm secure communication tool; the IPR Handbook; the IPR Self-Assessment Tool; and the new CLiKC! e-learning module on counterfeit/illicit medicines. In addition, the mission comprised a series of meetings with stakeholders, encompassing senior management from Kazakhstan Customs, experts, right holders and representatives of key national bodies, such as the National Institute of Intellectual Property, the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Healthcare. Field trips were also conducted as part of the mission, including one to Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport which made it possible to hold discussions with Customs officers on the ground.