Singaporean nominated as WIPO's new director general

The Coordination Committee of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization has officially nominated Daren Tang, a Singaporean, to be its next director general.

The nomination will have to be confirmed by the WIPO General Assembly when it convenes in May this year, according to a press release jointly issued Thursday by Singapore's Ministry of Law and Intellectual Property Office of Singapore(IPOS).

Tang currently serves as the Chief Executive of IPOS, a statutory board under the Ministry of Law.

If confirmed, Tang will be the first Singaporean to assume a top role in a UN organization and to assume his official duties on Oct. 1 2020 at WIPO for a six-year term.

WIPO is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations. It was created in 1967 to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world. It now groups 193 member states.