BANGLADESH SEEKS SUPPORT FOR WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL

UNCLAS DHAKA 000288 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS USMISSION GENEVA FOR US REPRESENTATIVE TO WIPO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON POL ETRD PREL KIPR BG SUBJECT: BANGLADESH SEEKS SUPPORT FOR WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL CANDIDATE REF: DHAKA 00266 ¶1. (SBU) Bangladesh requests U.S. support for the candidature of Dr. Taufiq Ali for the position of Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). ¶2. (U) At the upcoming 83-Member Coordination Committee of WIPO in Geneva from May 12-14 2008, Bangladesh will nominate Dr. Taufiq Ali (Bangladesh's former Permanent Representative at the Bangladesh Mission in Geneva) for the position of WIPO Director General. ¶3. (SBU) NOTE: Bangladesh fails to adequately protect international intellectual property rights within its borders. Post concurs with US industry representatives and the US Foreign Commercial Service's regional attache's recommendation that Bangladesh be placed on the USTR's Special 301 Watch List. (REFTEL) Given this, we believe it would send a mixed signal to appoint a Bangladeshi candidate for the WIPO DG position. END NOTE Pasi