EPO celebrates Just Peace Month in The Hague
This year, the EPO is a partner for the first time of Just Peace Month , organised by the city of The Hague. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Just Peace Festival and The Hague International Open Day have been merged into a month-long celebration of work undertaken in the city on peace and justice, at both national and internationals levels.
The programme of mostly virtual activities commenced on 20 September, on the eve of International Peace Day, and continues this month in the run up to celebrating 75 years of the UN, which was founded on 24 October 1945. The EPO is one of several international organisations and institutions seated in the Netherlands to partner with the event. Others include Eurojust, Europol, the International Criminal Court, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
On the Just Peace portal, the EPO profiles its office in Rijswijk, as well as Dutch finalists and winners of the European Inventor Award. In a video statement, EPO Vice-President for Patent Granting Process Steven Rowan explains the basics of the patent system and shares his experience of living and working in the Hague region. The new partnership will build on the EPO's participation in the Hague's International Open Day as a physical event in previous years, which successfully connected regional and international communities.
The EPO's presence in the Netherlands has its roots in the establishment of the International Patent Institute (IIB) in 1947. This provided the foundation for the European patent system that has since become a promotor of peace and stability by facilitating the development of a prosperous, smart and sustainable economy in Europe.