Teaching IPRs

INTELLECTUAL property rights (IPRs) will soon be an essential part of the curriculum in Egyptian law schools. Although these schools already teach various aspects of IPRs, there is no comprehensive introductory course or textbook to teach the subject.

A book has now been developed entitled Intellectual Property: Principles and Practice written by Judy Goans, Lee Skillington, David Weinstein and Patricia Drost. The book is a contribution of the Technical Assistance for Intellectual Property Rights in Egypt (TIPRE) project.

During a seminar organised last week to introduce the book, Goans said it provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of intellectual property. Although developed for use in Egypt, the book's emphasis is on international norms.

The book's material is adapted from lectures provided under projects managed by Nathan Associates Inc., the company contracted by the United States Agency for International Development to execute the TIPRE project.

Eye of the storm

EGYPT'S tourism sector, the country's top hard currency earner, will be hard hit in an eventual attack on Iraq. Tourism receipts are expected to drop to $2.25 billion, down from $3.8 in 2002 and $4.3 billion in 2000, Minister of Tourism Mamdouh El-Beltagui told a gathering organised by the German Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GACIC) last week.

The sector, which provides over two million direct and indirect jobs, according to a study by the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies (ECES), will also witness tourist nights dropping by 40 per cent from 32.7 million nights in 2002 to about 20 million nights.

El-Beltagui said at a press conference at the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin (ITB), however, that any drop in tourism will be temporary if the conflict is over quickly.

He also said that despite fears of an imminent war on Iraq, tourism has been doing well since the beginning of 2003. Nearly five million tourists are estimated to have visited Egypt last year -- an 11.6 per cent growth rate over the year before.

Egypt's tourism sector has proven its resilience, El-Beltagui said, having been in successive crises. Since 1997, a major crisis has occurred almost every year that affected the flow of tourists to Egypt. The Luxor incident in 1997, the second Palestinian Intifada, 11 September and now the Iraq crisis have all had their impact.

"In case of an eventual war, we will defend our industry and invest more human effort and financial resources to recover and to minimise the losses," El-Beltagui said.

During his meeting at GACIC, El- Beltagui witnessed the signing of two agreements. Misr Travel Company and GACIC signed a deal under which Travel and More, one of GACIC's affiliate companies, will market the Misr Travel packages locally and abroad. Under the second agreement, MAGICX, another affiliate GACIC company, will be organising the Fourth Environment 2003 Conference and Exhibition.

WB drive for poverty

THIS week the World Bank approved a $12 million loan for community-driven development and natural resource management.

The loan will finance the second phase of Matrouh Resource Management, a project that supports the government's initiative to fight rural poverty in Matrouh governorate.

The project mobilises local communities to organise themselves to access basic services, raise their living standards and increase their income through using their natural resources in a sustainable manner.

According to WB figures, an estimated 74 per cent of Egypt's poor live in rural areas and nearly 80 per cent of the 22,000 households in the project area live below the poverty line.

Matrouh Resource Management will provide support to representatives of tribal clans in designing their community action plans and setting their priorities for resource allocation.

Plans are underway for women and girls to have access to literacy classes near their homes. The project will also help communities develop grazing schemes that will allow animals to graze without destroying plant life. Another component of the project will engage the local communities to participate in road construction to pave feeder roads.

The six-year project falls in line with the World Bank's country assistance strategy aimed at helping the government alleviate poverty and improve resources management in dry land areas.