Bern, Press releases, 24.02.2009

The director general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr Francis Gurry was received in Bern today by a delegation of the FDFA and the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. The discussions focused mainly on governance within the organisation, the strengthening of the global regime for the protection of intellectual property rights and questions concerning the host state.

This is the first official visit to Bern by the new director general since his election as head of WIPO. Since taking up his post in October 2008, the new director general has introduced a number of measures to improve governance within the organisation.

As a member and the host state of the WIPO, Switzerland is pleased about the new spirit infused into the organisation since the arrival of the new directorate. In light of the leading role that it plays in the definition of intellectual property policies at the world level, Switzerland has assured the director general of its full support both for efforts to reform the Secretariat and the way that it works and for initiatives to relaunch fundamental dossiers and to make WIPO the global centre of competence for intellectual property issues.

Switzerland was pleased by WIPO's decision to increase its presence in Geneva by erecting a new building designed to accommodate 560 additional employees.
 

Information:
Mr Alexandre Fasel, Ambassador, Head of Political Affairs Division III, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Tel. + 41 31 323 20 22 (questions on the host state)

Mr Felix Addor, Deputy Director of the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property,
Tel: + 41 31 377 72 01 (Intellectual property) 


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