To date, the United States Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) has partnered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) in conducting judicial capacity building programs on intellectual property enforcement and university technology transfer programs for the government of Sri Lanka. As a continuation of those efforts, CLDP, with funding from the U.S. Department of State, USPTO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are planning, in close coordination with the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka (NIPO) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to conduct week-long intellectual property programs in Colombo from April 24-28, 2017.

CLDP and USPTO will work with NIPO to conduct a half-day World IP Day event that will allow the Sri Lankan and the international communities (including the USG) highlight and celebrate efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka's intellectual property regime. This event will raise intellectual property awareness and also highlight USG and Government of Sri Lanka efforts to strengthen Sri Lankan's IP regime.

CLDP, USPTO and WIPO will also work with the University Grants Commission and NIPO to conduct University IP Policy Workshops over the course of three days and a fourth day for one- on-one sessions with interested universities will be offered. These workshops will build upon capacity building programs already conducted in the United States and place university leadership and technology transfer managers in a better position to incentivice innovation and commercialization.