[A2k] WIPO DG Election-Information and live blog

[Dalindyebo Bafana Shabalala]

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Dear Friends and Colleagues

as has been noted by IP-Watch, IQSensato and other concerned groups, the
selection for WIPO Director General is coming to a head.  On May 13,
discussions in WIPO's Coordination Committee will begin with a straw
poll and conclude with several rounds of secret ballots.  The voting
procedures are available at
http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=3D15326


In informal discussions and from responses to questions posed by IP
Watch and civil society, it has become clear that there are several
front runners for the position, some of whom, from the perspective of
civil society participation and the substantive issues that we care
about /*would*/ not be the right person for the position.  It is
important that the members of the WIPO Coordination Committee (list of
members available here:) are made aware that they are being watched by
other stakeholders, civil society, and the citizens of their countries
as they make their selection.  Civil society should make it clear that
we and other stakeholders will not support the selection of an
individual who, in interviews, articles and presentations, is far below
the level of qualifications and characteristics needed to properly
direct WIPO in making it a democratic, transparent, accountable and
development-supportive organization. Civil society groups will not be
allowed in the room where discussions take place, but we encourage all
groups to email, skype, telephone and fax your views and opinions to
WIPO member state delegates and to other government representatives.

The 15 candidates are: Alicja Adamczak (Poland), Toufiq Ali
(Bangladesh), Jorge Amigo Casta=F1eda (Mexico), Jos=E9 Gra=E7a Aranha
(Brazil), Gjorgji Filipov (Macedonia), Francis Gurry (Australia), Masood
Khan (Pakistan), Enrique Manalo (Philippines), Mauro Masi (Italy), James
Otieno Odek (Kenya), Philippe Petit (France), Bojan Pretnar (Slovenia),
Boris Simonov (Russia), Yoshiyuki Takagi (Japan), and Jos=E9 Delmer Urbizo
(Honduras).

Video of some of the candidate presentations to Civil society are
available below::

Video 1 -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3D5093362967627971571&hl=3Den

Video 2 -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3D1312827334844132820&hl=3Den

Video 3 -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3D-8845402997045229188&hl=3Den

Video 4 -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3D5105921436401561633&hl=3Den

Video 5 -
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3D8998862960353259859&hl=3Den


Further information on who attended the meetings well as the written respon=
ses that have been received so far, can be found on the CIEL website at: ht=
tp://www.ciel.org/Tae/WIPO_DirGen_15Apr.html

The candidates presentations
(http://ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D1035) and responses to some
intervgiew questions (http://ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D955) are
available at Intellectual Property Watch, www.ip-watch.org

Analysis on the WIPO DG race can be found in a series by IQSensato at
www.iqsensato.org

News reports on the WIPO DG candidates race and on the meeting with civil s=
ociety can be found at:
http://ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D955 (Responses to 5 IP Watch Quest=
ions)
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D1016 (Report on meeting with C=
ivil Society)
http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=3D1002 (Report on Candidates mee=
ting with member states)

The biographies of the candidates are on the WIPO website, and
interviews with the candidates are on Intellectual Property Watch,
www.ip-watch.org

As IP watch also notes, the members of the Coordination Committee are:

Afghanistan (ad hoc), Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon,
Canada, Chile,
China, Colombia, Costa Rica, C=F4te d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia (ad hoc), Finland,
France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Latvia, Libya,
Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Senegal,
Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
(ex officio), Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United
Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen, and Zambia.


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Dalindyebo Shabalala
Director, Project on Intellectual Property and Sustainable Development
Center for International Environmental Law
Rue des Savoises 15
1205 Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: +41 22 321 4774
Fax: +41 22 489 0739
www.ciel.org