NEWS RELEASES
CANADIAN ELECTED HEAD OF WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
November 14, 1997 No. 188
CANADIAN ELECTED HEAD OF
WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION
International Trade Minister Sergio Marchi announced today the recent election of
Sheila Batchelor, Canada's Commissioner of Patents, Registrar of Trade-marks and
Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), as
Chair of the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO).
"The election of Ms. Batchelor is testament to Canada's continued leadership in
the international intellectual property community and is part of this Government's
commitment to promote Canadian values on the world stage," Minister Marchi
declared. "She is also the first Canadian and the first woman ever to occupy this
influential post."
This election also coincides with the appointment of a new Director General for
WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris of Sudan, whose predecessor, Dr. Arpad Bogsch, is retiring
after 24 years as executive head of the organization.
"I am honoured to have been elected to this position and look forward to working
closely with the new Director General on WIPO programs and directions for the
future. We will work hard to equip member states of this important multilateral
organization to face the challenges as we approach the new millennium," said Ms.
Batchelor.
Ms. Batchelor joins WIPO at a time when the organization is committed to
increasing the use of information technologies both internally and between member
states. Ms. Batchelor will continue her executive duties with CIPO during her two-year term as chair of the WIPO General Assembly.
"I congratulate Ms. Batchelor. Her familiarity with Canada's success in using
information technology in the field of intellectual property will position her to
help guide this transition and share our experiences with other countries,"
commented Industry Minister John Manley. "With the growth of the knowledge-based
economy and the associated importance of effective intellectual property
protection, this new role for Canada is vital since we are increasingly committed
to co-operating with other nations in promoting intellectual property laws."
WIPO's objective is to promote respect for, and protection of, intellectual
property throughout the world through co-operation among member states. It is a
specialized agency of the United Nations with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
WIPO was established by a Convention that was signed at Stockholm in 1967 and
entered into force in 1970. Canada is one of 161 member states.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Leslie Swartman
Office of the Minister for International Trade
(613) 992-7332
Michael Calvert
Manager, Corporate Affairs
Canadian Intellectual Property Office
(819) 997-1357
calvert.michael@ic.gc.ca
http://cipo.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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