World Intellectual Property Organization,WIPO
2020-07-27 23:02

【Establishment】WIPO was established in 1967, and became one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations system in 1974.

【Objectives】The objectives of WIPO is to promote the protection of IP around the world through cooperation among states and, where applicable, in collaboration with any other international organization, as well as to to ensure administrative cooperation among the Unions.

【Membership】WIPO currently has 193 member states.

【Organizational Bodies】The main bodies of WIPO are the General Assembly and the Assemblies of member states of each Union, the Coordination Committee, and the International Bureau.

【Head of the Organization】Francis Gurry of Australia has led WIPO as Director General since 2008. He was reappointed in 2014 for a second term, which runs through September 2020. Mr. Daren Tang of Singapore was appointed by the General Assembly in May 2020 as the next Director General, followed his nomination by the Coordination Committee in March, 2020 by a vote. Mr. Tang's six-year term begins in October 2020.

【Headquarters】The headquarters of WIPO is at Geneva, Switzerland.

【China’s Relationship with WIPO】China joined WIPO in 1980, and has participated in the Assemblies of member states ever since. China has become a contracting party to 13 WIPO-administered treaties, including Paris Convention, Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, Berne Convention, WIPO Copyright Treaty, etc. In June 2012, WIPO Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances took place in Beijing, China with the adoption of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. In April 2019, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry took part in the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Development and attended the Launching Ceremony of the 2019 National IP Publicity Week of China. On 21 October 2019, the 16th Shanghai International Intellectual Property Forum was held in Shanghai, China, with the theme "Enhancing international cooperation in IP protection and building a world-class business environment". Commissioner of China National Intellectual Property Administration Shen Changyu and Mayor of Shanghai Municipality Ying Yong attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. WIPO Director General Francis Gurry graced the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.