The event also marked the launch of the WIPO DL101 Customized Course, organized by Legal Practice Rwanda in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy.

The forum brought together key stakeholders in law, innovation, and creativity to discuss the importance of intellectual property (IP) as a driver of national development and economic transformation.

During a panel discussion titled “Intellectual Property as a Catalyst for Rwanda’s Innovation and Creative Economy”, Minister of State Sandrine Umutoni highlighted Rwanda’s ongoing efforts to build a knowledge-driven economy anchored in creativity, innovation, and strong intellectual property protection systems.

“Without a strong intellectual property protection system, we cannot unlock the full potential of our creative economy. Intellectual property is not just a legal matter it’s an economic instrument that transforms talent into value,” she emphasized.

Minister Umutoni underlined the government’s commitment to raising awareness and strengthening education around intellectual property, noting that the new WIPO DL101 Customized Course provides Rwandan youth and creatives with essential tools to protect, manage, and benefit from their ideas.

“To build a knowledge-based economy, we must strengthen IP awareness and education. The new WIPO DL101 customized course gives our youth and creatives the tools to protect, manage, and profit from their ideas,” she said.

She also stressed the need to ensure that creators receive fair recognition and compensation for their work.

“Visibility and remuneration are not mutually exclusive. Creators deserve both. The hours spent writing, painting or composing are real work, and that work must be paid for,” Minister Umutoni noted.

Adding to this, she called for responsible business practices that respect and support creative industries.

“If your business profits from the creativity of others whether it’s the music you play, the art on your walls, or the films you show then you must also support the artists who make it possible,” she concluded.

The High-Level Forum reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to fostering innovation, protecting intellectual property rights, and empowering creators as central pillars of its knowledge-based and inclusive economic growth.