WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL ELECTION

UNCLAS KUALA LUMPUR 000361 SENSITIVE SIPDIS GENEVA FOR USTR STATE PASS USTR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KIPR AORC ETRD PREL MY SUBJECT: WIPO DIRECTOR GENERAL ELECTION REF: SECSTATE 47557 ¶1. (U) Econ Counselor and econoff met with Kamel Mohamad, Director General, Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (Malaysia's USPTO equivalent),on May 9 to deliver reftel demarche in advance of the May 13-14 WIPO meeting to select the organization's Director General nominee. Kamel is leading Malaysia's delegation to the WIPO meeting. ¶2. (SBU) Kamel told us that Malaysia continues to consider which of the 15 WIPO DG candidates to support. He said that he is not under internal government pressure to support a candidate based on regional (such as ASEAN) or developing country status. He noted that Malaysia would be happy with either Francis Gurry of Australia or Yo Takagi of Japan, though he voiced concern that selecting Takagi might cause Gurry to leave WIPO. Kamel also spoke positively about Kenya's candidate, James Otieno Odek. KEITH