NETHERLANDS/WIPO: ELECTION OF NEW WIPO DIRECTOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000398

SIPDIS

IO/T (LLUFTIG),EUR/WE (TSMITH)
GENEVA FOR USMISSION GENEVA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2018
TAGS: AORC WIPO KIPR ETRD PREL NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/WIPO: ELECTION OF NEW WIPO DIRECTOR
GENERAL

REF: STATE 47559

Classified By: CDA Michael Gallagher, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (SBU) The Netherlands' preferred candidates for WIPO
Director General (DG) are Australia's Francis Gurry, followed
by Mexico's Jorge Amigo. EconOff met with Paul van
Beukering, head of Intellectual Property Unit, Ministry of
Economic Affairs, May 9 to discuss the upocoming WIPO DG
election per reftel. Van Beukering described the two key
criteria that the GONL used in evaluating the candidates: 1)
great managerial skills and the charisma to reform WIPO from
within; 2) the ability to build bridges across WIPO's divided
blocks. In addition, the GONL considered the candidates'
familiarity with intellectual property issues and their
"closeness" to current DG Idris (the Dutch oppose any
candidate who has been "close" to the Idris camp). Van
Beukering said this evaluation left the Dutch with a short
list of desirable candidates. He added that the Dutch are
basing their preferences solely on merit and do not feel
compelled to support European candidates.


2. (C) Although the GONL favors Gurry and Amigo, van
Beukering cautioned that they might be controversial and
there is a "real chance they won't make it to the end." For
example, he said that Brazilian and Mexican candidates are
dividing the Latin American votes. Regarding the three
candidates other than Gurry and Amigo whom the U.S. considers
best suited to be WIPO DG (Takagi, Odek, and Pretnar),van
Beukering said the GONL sees them as lacking in leadership --
"they won't do harm to WIPO, but they won't do much good
either." He said the GONL has not yet decided who its third
preferred candidate will be.

Gallagher