National Statement at the World Intellectual Property Organization 66th Series of Meetings of the Assemblies

Thank you Chair.

Chairman,

Director General,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Colleagues,

1          On behalf of the Singapore delegation, our thanks to DG Daren Tang and the WIPO Secretariat for the excellent arrangements made for the 66th WIPO Assemblies. We meet at a time when the rules-based multilateral system is at an inflexion. Many delegations have spoken about this, and we want to start foremost with Singapore aligning ourselves with the statements made by the AWGIPC and also of the APG. We can be heartened that even amidst the current international volatility and uncertainty, WIPO continues to be a shining beacon in at least three aspects.

2          First, WIPO successfully concluded two multilateral IP Treaties last year. Again, many delegations have already spoken about this. These are the first new WIPO Treaties in more than a decade. And it demonstrates that WIPO is able to deliver concrete consensus outcomes and that multilateralism is alive and well. This achievement is possible only because of all Member States’ commitment to work together to achieve meaningful outcomes, and the strong, effective, facilitation by WIPO's leadership.

3          Second, WIPO continues to enjoy sound finances, which has enabled the Secretariat to roll out concrete programmes to make IP relatable and accessible to all our people. The Medium-Term Strategic Plan 2022-2026 provided the roadmap to pivot from focussing on the technical and legal aspects of IP, to delivering impactful and tangible programmes that benefit women, youth, and micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs).  

4          Third, WIPO continues to fulfil its mandate to serve innovators and creators by ensuring that their ideas travel all around the world and travel to the market and improve lives everywhere. This is most manifested in the number of patent and trade mark applications, which reflect a stable trend, despite the global economic headwinds. Importantly, WIPO has expanded support for developing and least developed Member States. On our part, Singapore is very glad to be partnering WIPO, and the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center in Singapore, to implement the ASEAN Mediation Programme and IP Management Clinics. These programmes are designed to help MSMEs in the ASEAN region to manage and leverage their IP to grow and tap into the international market.

5          Let me conclude by expressing my appreciation to DG Daren Tang for his leadership and his team for their excellent work. We wish WIPO all the best as the transformational journey continues into the next few years. Please be assured of Singapore’s commitment and support. Thank you.