Today and tomorrow, the World Intellectual Property Organization will hold an extraordinary General Assembly, thorugh a written procedure in order to confirm the appointment of a new Director General, Mr Daren Tang of Singapore.

The World Intellectual Property Organization is the agency of the United Nations that oversees policies and decisions concerning intellectual property and in particular copyright and related rights, through its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).

The fifty-second General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization is taking place on 7th and 8th May 2020.

This Extraordinary General Assembly (the 28th) will see the appointment of the new Director-General, Daren Tang, currently CEO of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.

IFLA has already welcomed Mr.Tang’s nomination, appreciating his strong role in the Singapore office and the implementation of its copyright reform, which demonstrates the use of solid legal and economic evidence to promote the development of a balance between the interests of users and rights holders.

IFLA has also noted contributions of Mr Tang during his time as chair of the SCCR, especially his underlining of the need to find digital-ready, cross-border solutions for cultural heritage, education and other uses.

IFLA has submitted a statement to WIPO as contribution, prepared by Winston Tabb (Head of IFLA’s delegation) and Camille Françoise, Policy and Research Officer.

The statement is available: English version.