Geneva, Switzerland | 08 July 2026 The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda, Hon. Norbert Mao, held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Republic of Malawi, Hon. Charles Mhango, on the sidelines of the 68th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Uganda is participating in the WIPO Assemblies taking place from 7th to 16th July 2026. The Uganda Delegation is led by Hon. Norbert Mao and includes H.E. Mr. Marcel Robert Tibaleka, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva; Mr. Mustapher Ntale, Deputy Registrar General – Registries, Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); and Mr. James Tonny Lubwama, Assistant Commissioner Registration Services, URSB.
During the bilateral engagement, Hon. Mao commended the longstanding cordial relations between Uganda and Malawi, particularly in the areas of business registration, intellectual property administration, and institutional capacity development. He emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration among African Member States to strengthen Africa’s collective voice and influence within WIPO.
Hon. Mao further highlighted the successful benchmarking visit undertaken by a delegation from Malawi to the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), which contributed to the development and implementation of Malawi’s Companies and Intellectual Property Registration System (CIPRS). He noted that such initiatives demonstrate the importance of South-South cooperation, knowledge exchange, and sharing of best practices in building efficient and innovation-driven registration systems across Africa.
In response, Hon. Charles Mhango congratulated Hon. Mao upon his re-appointment as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda and reaffirmed Malawi’s commitment to continued cooperation. He expressed Malawi’s readiness to work closely with Uganda in advancing common positions within WIPO and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) on matters of mutual interest.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong partnership between Uganda and Malawi and the shared commitment of both countries to advancing innovation, intellectual property protection, and improved business registration services as drivers of socio-economic transformation.