Cablegate: Us Mission Geneva

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0805 2671551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231551Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7204
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2830
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS GENEVA 000805

SIPDIS

USDOC PLEASE PASS USPTO for Lois Boland
STATE for IO/T, IO/MPR, EEB/TRA/IPE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON KIPR
SUBJ: WIPO ELECTS NEW DG

1. At the opening of the General Assemblies of the member states of
the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on
September 22, Francis Gurry, an Australian national and previously
WIPO deputy director general, was confirmed as the new WIPO Director
General by acclamation. The confirmation concludes the lengthy
process to force out and replace the scandal-plagued former DG, Dr.
Kamal Idris.

2. Ambassador Tichenor, leading the USG delegation, presented
statements lauding the change in leadership, first on behalf of
Group B as its regional coordinator, and later, closing out the
morning, on behalf of the USG. In his latter statement, the
Ambassador remarked that the change in leadership holds great
promise for the future of WIPO, and expressed the USG hope that the
divisions of the past can be left behind.

3. The Ambassador also urged WIPO to follow up on the UN Joint
Inspection Unit recommendation; implement the development-related
proposals in the Committee on Development and IP; move forward on
patent law harmonization; and manage WIPO's growth.

4. Other countries opened the meeting with gracious thanks to Dr.
Idris, in varying degrees of effusiveness, and staked out familiar
positions on the future work of WIPO. The assemblies will continue
until the end of September. We will report on the activities of the
Assemblies at their conclusion.

TICHENOR#

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