Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NAIROBI1210
2008-05-08 14:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Nairobi
Cable title:
KENYA CONSIDERS JAPAN'S YO TAKAGI AS STRONGEST WIPO
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHNR #1210 1291452 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 081452Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5744 INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0291 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA 0002 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 0071 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0716 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 4429
UNCLAS NAIROBI 001210
COMMERCE FOR USPTO
STATE ALSO FOR IO/T LAURA LUFTIG, AF/EPS, AND AF/E
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC WIPO KIPR ETRD PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA CONSIDERS JAPAN'S YO TAKAGI AS STRONGEST WIPO
DIRECTOR GENERAL CANDIDATE
REF: STATE 47559
UNCLAS NAIROBI 001210
COMMERCE FOR USPTO
STATE ALSO FOR IO/T LAURA LUFTIG, AF/EPS, AND AF/E
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC WIPO KIPR ETRD PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA CONSIDERS JAPAN'S YO TAKAGI AS STRONGEST WIPO
DIRECTOR GENERAL CANDIDATE
REF: STATE 47559
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
For USG internal distribution only.
2. (SBU) In the absence of Kenya Copyright Board (KCB) Acting
Director Marisella Ouma, on May 8 Econoff spoke separately with KCB
Senior State Counsel Edward Sigei, Kenya Industrial Property
Institute (KIPI) Chief Trademark Examiner Sylvance Sange, and KIPI
Chief Patent Examiner Joseph Mbeva about the upcoming election of a
new World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General
(reftel). All three agreed that the five leading candidates,
including KIPI Director General Dr. James Otieno Odek, are strong
contenders, with Sigei remarking that, in his estimation, the
Japanese nominee, Yo Takagi, appears to be the frontrunner following
weeks of lobbying. "He is a very strong candidate, who had a head
start over the others in campaigning for the position. The Mexican
candidate (Jorge Amigo) is also a serious professional, well-known,
with a congenial demeanor. The Australian (Dr. Francis Gurry) I
consider a dark horse," Sigei continued.
3. (SBU) The three Kenyans were openly gratified that the United
States considers Dr. Odek among the most qualified with Sange
confiding that Odek (who is already in Geneva) is personally pleased
that the U.S. delegation has not summarily dismissed his candidacy
on the basis of geography. "Dr. Odek is a competent, highly
qualified professional, who should be judged on his merits and not
be disadvantaged because he is an African. Notions that the job
should not go to an African because the previous DG (Kamil Idris)
was from Sudan goes against meritocracy," Sange stressed.
Geographical considerations come up too frequently, he bemoaned. In
Sigei's view, "geography is unfortunate but that's just the way it
is." Kenya and its mission in Geneva, he claimed, should be working
harder to convince the Americans, Arabs, Asians, and others to
support Odek. There is even no guarantee that he will take the
African bloc. African nations with a predominately Muslim
population, Mbeva posited, may well opt to support either Dr. Toufiq
Ali from Bangladesh or Pakistan's Masood Khan.
Ranneberger
COMMERCE FOR USPTO
STATE ALSO FOR IO/T LAURA LUFTIG, AF/EPS, AND AF/E
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC WIPO KIPR ETRD PREL KE
SUBJECT: KENYA CONSIDERS JAPAN'S YO TAKAGI AS STRONGEST WIPO
DIRECTOR GENERAL CANDIDATE
REF: STATE 47559
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.
For USG internal distribution only.
2. (SBU) In the absence of Kenya Copyright Board (KCB) Acting
Director Marisella Ouma, on May 8 Econoff spoke separately with KCB
Senior State Counsel Edward Sigei, Kenya Industrial Property
Institute (KIPI) Chief Trademark Examiner Sylvance Sange, and KIPI
Chief Patent Examiner Joseph Mbeva about the upcoming election of a
new World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General
(reftel). All three agreed that the five leading candidates,
including KIPI Director General Dr. James Otieno Odek, are strong
contenders, with Sigei remarking that, in his estimation, the
Japanese nominee, Yo Takagi, appears to be the frontrunner following
weeks of lobbying. "He is a very strong candidate, who had a head
start over the others in campaigning for the position. The Mexican
candidate (Jorge Amigo) is also a serious professional, well-known,
with a congenial demeanor. The Australian (Dr. Francis Gurry) I
consider a dark horse," Sigei continued.
3. (SBU) The three Kenyans were openly gratified that the United
States considers Dr. Odek among the most qualified with Sange
confiding that Odek (who is already in Geneva) is personally pleased
that the U.S. delegation has not summarily dismissed his candidacy
on the basis of geography. "Dr. Odek is a competent, highly
qualified professional, who should be judged on his merits and not
be disadvantaged because he is an African. Notions that the job
should not go to an African because the previous DG (Kamil Idris)
was from Sudan goes against meritocracy," Sange stressed.
Geographical considerations come up too frequently, he bemoaned. In
Sigei's view, "geography is unfortunate but that's just the way it
is." Kenya and its mission in Geneva, he claimed, should be working
harder to convince the Americans, Arabs, Asians, and others to
support Odek. There is even no guarantee that he will take the
African bloc. African nations with a predominately Muslim
population, Mbeva posited, may well opt to support either Dr. Toufiq
Ali from Bangladesh or Pakistan's Masood Khan.
Ranneberger