WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (hereinafter WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.
WIPO was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its Member States to promote the protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. The Director General is Francis Gurry (from 1st October 2008).
Strategic Goals
WIPO's revised and expanded strategic goals are part of a comprehensive process of realignment taking place within the Organization. These new goals will enable WIPO to fulfill its mandate more effectively in response to a rapidly evolving external environment, and to the urgent challenges for intellectual property in the 21st Century.
The nine strategic goalsset out in the Revised Program and Budget for the 2008/09 Biennium are:
- Balanced Evolution of the International Normative Framework for IP
- Provision of Premier Global IP Services
- Facilitating the Use of IP for Development
- Coordination and Development of Global IP Infrastructure
- World Reference Source for IP Information and Analysis
- International Cooperation on Building Respect for IP
- Addressing IP in Relation to Global Policy Issues
- A Responsive Communications Interface between WIPO, its Member States and All Stakeholders
- An Efficient Administrative and Financial Support Structure to Enable WIPO to Deliver its Programs
How WIPO Works
The terms governing WIPO’s mandate, functions, finances and procedures are set out in the WIPO Convention.
Member States
WIPO’s Member States determine the strategic direction and activities of the Organization. They meet in the Assemblies, committees and working groups.
There are currently 184 Member States, i.e. over 90 percent of the countries of the world.
Secretariat
The WIPO Secretariat, or International Bureau, is based in Geneva. WIPO staff, drawn from more than 90 countries, include experts in diverse areas of IP law and practice, as well as specialists in economics, administration and IT.
The respective divisions of the Secretariat are responsible for coordinating the meetings of Member States and implementing their decisions; for administering the international IP registration systems; and for developing and executing the programs designed to achieve WIPO’s goals.
More details available at: