Trinidad and Tobago returned to the podium at the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s General Assemblies this week, with Minister of Land and Legal Affairs and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Saddam Hosein delivering the country’s national statement at the 68th session of the gathering, the nation’s first appearance at that level since 2014.
Minister Hosein used the address to place Trinidad and Tobago’s intellectual property agenda within a broader push for global engagement, pointing to the country’s recent election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2027–2028 as evidence of a wider diplomatic push.
Much of the statement centred on linking IP policy to agricultural development. The Minister pointed to work already done to protect the country’s Trinitario cocoa, prized internationally for its flavour profile, through a certification trademark, and said officials are now looking at extending similar protections to rice, peppers and pineapples as part of a broader effort to diversify the agricultural sector.
On the legislative side, Minister Hosein cited the passage of the Copyright Amendment Act 2026, which lengthens the protection period for creative works and sound recordings from 50 to 70 years — a change intended to give a longer runway of protection to soca, calypso and chutney music. He also flagged ongoing work toward joining the Hague Agreement, the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, and the UPOV 1991 Convention on plant variety protection, signalling an intent to align the country’s IP regime more closely with international standards.
The Minister additionally referenced progress on the WIPO-backed Creative Economy Data Model National Report, noting that the first phase has been completed and the second is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026. That work, he said, is feeding into government consideration of IP valuation frameworks and IP-backed financing arrangements that would let local artistes borrow against their creative output.
Hosein framed the combination of these efforts, trademark protections for agricultural products, extended copyright terms, treaty accession, and new financing tools for creatives, as part of a bid to position Trinidad and Tobago as a regional leader on intellectual property, including through continued cooperation with OECS member states on patent examination and related matters.