On 5 July 2022, the WIPO Director General Daren Tang made an official visit to Bern. Tang and his delegation visited both the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

The aim of Daren Tang’s visit was to exchange ideas with the Swiss delegation: Catherine Chammartin, Director General of the IPI; Felix Addor, Deputy Director General of the IPI; Johannes Matyassy, Deputy State Secretary at the FDFA; and ambassadors Frank Grütter and Jürg Lauber.  

The topics discussed included technical WIPO matters as well as foreign policy issues, in particular the impact of the Ukraine war on WIPO.

 

WIPO, the IPI and the FDFA expressed their satisfaction with their good working relationship and highlighted the importance Switzerland attaches to the protection of intellectual property rights and the multilateral system. Specialist issues included more effective promotion of protection for geographical indications in the WIPO system, the future work of the UN agency in the field of artificial intelligence and WIPO’s response to COVID-19.

In addition to the specialist discussion, the programme also featured a cultural highlight – a visit to Bern Cathedral.