Director General of WIPO

Director General of WIPO
Post	Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization
Body	World Intellectual Property Organization
Incumbent	Daren Tang
Incumbentsince	1 October 2020
Style	His/Her Excellency
Appointer	WIPO General Assembly
Formation	1967
Inaugural	Gerard H. Henderson

Director General of WIPO The Director General of WIPO is the chief executive officer of the World Intellectual Property Organization, responsible for guiding the agency's programmatic, diplomatic, and administrative activities. The office interfaces with member states such as United States, China, India, Brazil and institutions including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, European Patent Office and African Regional Intellectual Property Organization to implement treaties like the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, and the Madrid System. The Director General leads engagement with stakeholders such as the International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations and national intellectual property offices.

Role and Responsibilities

The Director General oversees WIPO's implementation of multilateral instruments including the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations, the WIPO Copyright Treaty, and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. The office directs global programs that interact with entities such as the European Union, African Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and regional patent offices like the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the China National Intellectual Property Administration. The Director General represents WIPO at international fora including the United Nations General Assembly, World Intellectual Property Day events, the G20 Summit, and meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and negotiates cooperation with bodies like the World Trade Organization Secretariat and the World Health Organization.

Appointment and Term

The Director General is appointed by the WIPO General Assembly following nomination by the WIPO Coordination Committee, with voting influenced by delegations from states such as Japan, Germany, France, Russia, South Africa, and Mexico. Terms are set by WIPO governance rules and shaped by precedents involving officeholders like Arpad Bogsch and Francis Gurry. Appointees often bring backgrounds from institutions such as the United Nations Development Programme, national diplomatic services like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), international law firms, or national intellectual property administrations.

History and List of Officeholders

Since WIPO's elevation to a United Nations specialized agency, the post has been held by administrators and diplomats including pioneers from countries such as United States, Australia, Argentina, France and Singapore. Notable Directors General include founders and reformers who engaged with treaties like the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and negotiated partnerships with organizations including the World Bank and the International Labour Organization. The office's history intersects with global intellectual property milestones such as the accession of new members from Central and Eastern Europe after the Cold War, the expansion of the Madrid System, and the incorporation of emerging economies including China and India into multilateral frameworks.

Selection Process and Voting

The selection process involves nomination rounds, regional consultations among groups like the African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC), the Eastern European Group, and the Western European and Others Group. Voting takes place in the WIPO General Assembly, where delegates from member states such as Canada, Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and United Kingdom cast ballots; candidates have included diplomats, technocrats and former heads of national offices from institutions such as the European Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Campaigns for the post draw attention from media outlets like the Financial Times, The New York Times, Le Monde, and The Guardian and involve endorsements from trade groups, civil society organizations, and academic centers such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, and National University of Singapore.

Powers and Administration

Within WIPO, the Director General supervises the Secretariat, sets strategic plans, proposes budgets to the WIPO General Assembly and chairs sessions of bodies such as the WIPO General Assembly, the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, and the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents. The office signs administrative agreements with entities including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank Group, and regional organizations like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Administrative authority extends to personnel appointments, programmatic priorities like capacity building in least developed countries, and management of core services such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system, the Madrid System for trademarks, and the Hague System for industrial designs.

Controversies and Criticisms

The Director General and WIPO Secretariat have faced scrutiny over matters involving transparency, budgetary allocations, staffing decisions, and positions on access to medicines debated with the World Health Organization and civil society groups such as Médecins Sans Frontières and Knowledge Ecology International. Debates have arisen regarding WIPO's role vis-à-vis the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and tensions with national capitals such as United States and India over policy direction. Leadership contests have triggered diplomatic disputes among regional groups and media coverage by outlets like Reuters and Bloomberg focusing on governance reforms, accountability mechanisms, and relations with private-sector stakeholders including International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and multinational technology firms.

Category:World Intellectual Property Organization