The International Authors Forum (IAF) held a meeting with members from across Africa to discuss issues of concern and interest, along with opportunities for further support in short- and long-term projects of authors’ organisations in Africa.
Representatives from South Africa, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Kenya joined the meeting and discussed opportunities for authors’ organisations. The IAF Secretariat informed the African representatives about the latest developments at the World Intellectual Property Organization and its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. Also highlighted was the importance of the proposal for a study on Public Lending Right which was co-sponsored by the national delegations of Sierra Leone, Malawi and Panama. IAF members discussed the potential of supporting the proposal via their national delegations and in their approach to Public Lending Right relevant to the needs of different countries.
Other issues discussed included the Copyright Amendment Bill in South Africa, visual artists’ rights in Uganda and how authors’ profiles can be raised with policymakers and other institutions. The participants and the IAF executives agreed to hold regular regional meetings to discuss any developments and issues that might arise.