Alicante, 6 November 2026
We, Origen España, the Spanish Association of Geographical Indications, and oriGIn, the Global Alliance of Geographical Indications,
Having convened in Alicante, at the facilities of the EUIPO, on 5 and 6 November 2026, the first international conference dedicated to cooperation projects in the field of Geographical Indications;
Having brought together some 600 participants, including representatives of multilateral and bilateral donors, project beneficiaries, Geographical Indication producer groups and research institutions;
Recognizing that, after twenty years of international cooperation in the field of Geographical Indications, the time has come to take stock of the activities undertaken and the results achieved;
Convinced that Geographical Indications hold tremendous potential for the sustainable development of local communities worldwide;
Mindful that the international landscape is changing rapidly, shaped by pressing sustainability challenges, the pervasive role of technology, and attempts to establish new forms of governance that call into question multilateralism and the rules-based trading system;
Hereby adopt the following Declaration:
1. We commend the multilateral and bilateral donors who, over the past twenty years, have supported the development of Geographical Indications around the world through projects aimed, among other objectives, at identifying quality products linked to their geographical origin, developing sound product specifications, strengthening legal frameworks, and securing the recognition of Geographical Indications. These efforts have clearly demonstrated the value of Geographical Indications as a driver of sustainable local development.
2. We call upon multilateral and bilateral donors to recognize that the changing international landscape demands a new phase of international cooperation in the field of Geographical Indications.
3. We urge that the new generation of cooperation projects give priority to the following needs of Geographical Indication beneficiaries:
(a) continue to identify and secure the recognition of GIs, in areas where there is untapped potential.
(b) establishing Geographical Indication associations/groups for recognized GIs and strengthening existing associations/groups in support of the collective interests of concerned producers;
(c) encouraging the creation of national GI associations to pursue common objectives and generating economies of scale;
(d) setting up credible and effective traceability and control systems as essential elements to ensure the authenticity of GIs.
(e) providing support for marketing, commercialization and market access; protection and enforcement; access to credit; sustainability; and the use of technology.
4. We encourage multilateral and bilateral donors to strengthen their coordination, and to involve Geographical Indication success stories more closely in the design and implementation of future cooperation projects.
Adopted in Alicante on 6 November 2026.
