WIPO’s Coordination Committee Nominates Francis Gurry for Second Term as Director General

TheCoordination Committeeof the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) nominated by consensus Mr. Francis Gurry for a second term as Director General of WIPO.

The WIPO General Assembly will meet in an extraordinary session on May 8-9, 2014 to confirm the nomination. Mr. Gurry’s first term as Director General expires on September 30, 2014.

To applause from delegates, Committee Chair Ambassador Fode Seck declared Mr. Gurry the consensus nominee. Mr. Gurry offered his “heartfelt and profound thanks” to member states from all regional groups for the support given to him.

Theprocess of electing a Director Generalis governed by theConvention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organizationand “The Procedures for the Nomination and Appointment of Directors General of WIPO,” adopted by the General Assembly of WIPO in September 1998.

The Coordination Committee, whichcomprises 83 member states, held one round of voting from a list whichoriginally included four candidates.

Mr. Gurry prevailed in that round of voting with 46 votes, with 20 votes for Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama ofNigeria, 10 votes forPanama’s Mr. Alfredo Suescum Alfaro and seven votes for Mr. Jüri Seilenthal ofEstonia. According to the rules, the candidate with the least number of votes after the first round is eliminated.

Before the second round of voting began, the candidacies of Mr. Suescum and Mr. Onyeama were withdrawn and Mr. Gurry was selected as the consensus nominee by delegates signaling their acclaim with a round of applause.

Mr. Gurry is the fourth Director General of WIPO, following Dr. Kamil Idris ofSudan(1997-2008), Mr. Arpad Bogsch of theUnited States(1973-1997) and Mr. Georg Bodenhausen of theNetherlands(1970-1973). The WIPO Director General serves a six-year term.

Source:http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2014/article_0001.html