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.