The candidates are (in alphabetical order of names of candidates):

 

Prof. Adebambo Adewopo (Nigeria)

Mr. Marco Matías Alemán (Colombia)

Mr. Ivo Gagliuffi Piercechi (Peru)

Dr. Edward Kwakwa (Ghana)

Mr. Kenichiro Natsume (Japan)

Mr. Dámaso Pardo (Argentina)

Mr. Jüri Seilenthal (Estonia)

Mr. Daren Tang (Singapore)

Ms. Saule Tlevlessova (Republic of Kazakhstan)

Ms. WANG Binying (China)

 

The WIPO Coordination Committee, which is composed of 83 member states, will meet on March 5 and 6, 2020, to nominate a candidate for appointment to this position by the WIPO General Assembly, which is scheduled on May 7 and 8, 2020.

The current Director General is Francis Gurry, a role he has held since 1 October 2008.

The process of selecting a Director General is governed by the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization and the “2019 Procedures for the Nomination and Appointment of Directors General of WIPO.”

 

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 192 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society’s evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP.